Failure of a premix feeder line on a land-based gas turbine

A premix feeder line on a land-based gas turbine was found to be leaking, and the source of the leakage was traced back to a crack in a pipe-to-fitting weld. The weld joined a coupling made from the X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2 austenitic stainless steel to a type 316L austenitic stainless steel reducer. A root-cause assessment was conducted to determine the cause of the crack. Evidence of fatigue and corrosive attack was found. Various factors that influence the susceptibility to corrosion and cracking, such as heat tints, geometry of the weld, and surface finish of the component, are discussed. Recommendations are made for corrective actions and failure prevention.