scholarly journals Discussion: “Interpretation of Irradiation Effects on the Fracture Toughness of a Pressure Vessel Steel in Terms of Crack Tip Stress Analysis” (Parks, D. M., 1976, ASME J. Eng. Mater. Technol., 98, pp. 30–35)

1976 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-36
Author(s):  
J. M. Krafft
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Stress Analysis ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Crack Tip ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Irradiation Effects ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Crack Tip Stress

scholarly journals A Local Approach to Assess Effects of Specimen Geometry on Cleavage Fracture Toughness in Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego F. B. Sarzosa ◽  
Rafael Savioli ◽  
Claudio Ruggieri ◽  
Andrey Jivkov ◽  
Jack Beswick
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Cleavage Fracture ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Crack Tip ◽  
Crack Size ◽  
Size Ratio ◽  
Additional Contribution ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Shallow Crack

This work presents recent improvements in the micromechanical failure criterion based on the Weibull stress (σw) concept for prediction of cleavage fracture in ferritic steels. The model is applied in SE(B) specimens extracted from an ASTM A533 pressure vessel steel having different levels of stress triaxiality at the crack tip. Nonlinear 3D finite element models with dimensions matching the tested specimens were built to provide the necessary crack tip stresses at the fracture process zone for calculation of the σw-J evolution from wich the variation of characteristic toughness values (J0) between different cracked geometries can be estimated. Application of this methodology for the material used at this study is able to predict J0 for SE(B) specimens with very shallow crack size ratio a/W = 0.05, short crack a/W = 0.2 and deep crack a/W = 0.4. The reported fracture toughness values for specimens having very shallow crack size ratio is an additional contribution of this study.

Interpretation of Irradiation Effects on the Fracture Toughness of a Pressure Vessel Steel in Terms of Crack Tip Stress Analysis

1976 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Parks
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Tensile Stress ◽  
Temperature Dependence ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Fracture Criterion ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Flow Properties ◽  
Irradiation Effects ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Strain Fracture

The model of Ritchie, Knott, and Rice [10], relating the critical tensile stress for initiation of unstable cleavage fracture of mild steel to the cryogenic temperature-dependence of plane strain fracture toughness (KIc), is applied to a pressure vessel steel, ASTM A533B. It is shown that the fracture criterion of achieving the critical tensile stress over a characteristic microstructural distance is essentially unaffected by neutron irradiation. Thus, it appears that the effects of irradiation on the temperature-dependence of KIc in the cleavage range can be quantitatively assessed solely in terms of the effects on the yield and flow properties of the material.

Reconstitution of Compact Specimen for Irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel Steel

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Osaki ◽  
Hiroshi Matsuzawa
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Plastic Deformation ◽  
Crack Opening ◽  
Crack Tip ◽  
Reactor Vessel ◽  
Compact Specimen ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Original Size ◽  
Surveillance Specimens

Reconstitution in this paper means to constitute the original size compact specimen, which is made of the insert cut out from tested specimen and tubs welded to the insert. It is a promising technique to secure an adequate number of surveillance specimens for long-term operation of nuclear power plants. The fracture toughness of each reactor vessel of pressurized water reactors in Japan is measured periodically by 1/2T compact surveillance specimens, and is applied to assess the structural integrity of the reactor vessel under pressurized thermal shock loads. [1] This practice should be continued and enhanced if possible, after the full use of originally installed specimens, because its fracture toughness is lower than before. Reconstitution of irradiated 1/2T compact specimens to the original size was studied and demonstrated. Reconstituted specimens were composed of an irradiated material called an insert and un-irradiated tabs welded to the insert. It was demonstrated that the central part of the insert near the crack tip was not annealed by the thermal transient during welding if properly adjusted YAG laser welding was applied. Crack-tip opening and compliance before and after reconstitution were investigated by testing and analysis. Testing and analysis of un-irradiated specimens before reconstitution showed that the plastic deformation expanded to an area wider than 6 mm, the half width of the insert if it was a reconstituted specimen. The material had medium fracture toughness. The reconstituted specimen of the same material showed almost the same fracture toughness, although the weld could not be yielded as the insert, which could affect the crack opening. The crack opening was immune to the change of the deformation far from the crack tip. Correlation between J at 2.5 mm crack extension and plastic deformation width, and the effects of short time annealing of the insert far from the crack tip during welding were studied. Integrating the results, the conditions for reconstituting the 1/2T compact specimen were settled. The reconstituted specimen with irradiated insert designed to meet the conditions showed little change in fracture toughness.

Fracture Toughness Characterization of Midland Beltline Weld After High Dose of Irradiation

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail A. Sokolov ◽  
Randy K. Nanstad
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Neutron Fluence ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Reactor Pressure Vessel ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Reactor Pressure

The Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory includes a task to investigate the shape of the fracture toughness master curve for reactor pressure vessel steel highly embrittled as a consequence of irradiation exposure, and to examine the ability of the Charpy 41-J shift to predict the fracture toughness shift. As part of this task, a low upper-shelf WF-70 weld obtained from the beltline region of the Midland Unit 1 reactor pressure vessel was characterized in terms of static initiation and Charpy impact toughness in the unirradiated and irradiated conditions. Irradiation of this weld was performed at the University of Michigan Ford Reactor at 288°C to neutron fluence of 3.4×1019 neutron/cm2 in the HSSI irradiation-anneal-reirradiation facility. This reusable facility allowed the irradiation of either virgin or previously irradiated material in a well-controlled temperature regime, including the ability to perform in-situ annealing. This was the last capsule irradiated in this facility before reactor shut down. Thus, the Midland beltline weld was irradiated within the HSSI Program to three fluences — 0.5×1019; 1.0×1019; and 3.4×1019 neutron/cm2. It was anticipated that it would provide an opportunity to address fracture toughness curve shape and Charpy 41-J shift compatibility issues at different levels of embrittlement, including the highest dose considered to be in the range of the current end of life fluence. It was found that the Charpy 41-J shift practically saturated after neutron fluence of 1.0×1019 neutron/cm2. The transition fracture toughness shift after 3.4×1019 neutron/cm2 was only slightly higher than that after 1.0×1019 neutron/cm2. In all cases, transition fracture toughness shifts were lower than predicted by the Regulatory Guide 1.99, Rev. 2 equation.

Assessment of Pressure Vessel Steel Irradiation Embrittlement Up to 40 Years Using Local Approach to Fracture Modelling: Application to the French Surveillance Program

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Tanguy ◽  
A. Parrot ◽  
F. Cle´mendot ◽  
G. Chas
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Irradiation Embrittlement ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Different Levels

For western pressure vessel reactors, assessment of pressure vessel steels irradiation embrittlement due to neutron irradiation is based on a semi-empirical formulae which predicts the shift of a reference lower bound fracture toughness curve as a function of fluence and embrittlement-involved chemical elements. Periodically, in order to monitor the embrittlement of each RPV, the predictions of the formulae is confronted to experimental results obtained from Charpy specimens located in surveillance capsules irradiated with a higher fluence level than the pressure vessel itself. Historically only the shift of the temperature index defined for a given level of energy, e.g. 56J in the French surveillance program, is used. In support to the French surveillance program methodology, for some of the French RPVs, physical models of fracture (for both cleavage and ductile fracture) are used to analyse in details the whole experimental basis available at different levels of fluence. This study presents the methodology developed in order to analyse the experimental results of a RPV steel from the french surveillance program, including Charpy and fracture toughness tests at different levels of fluence i.e. of embrittlement. The methodology applied aims to use the numerous Charpy tests results available in order to assess, at the same fluence levels, the fracture toughness embrittlement. The results are then compared to available fracture toughness results for a given level of embrittlement.

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