Estimation of Master Curve Based RTTo Reference Temperature From CVN Data

Author(s):  
Kim R. W. Wallin ◽  
Gerhard Nagel ◽  
Elisabeth Keim ◽  
Dieter Siegele

The ASME code cases N-629 and N-631 permits the use of a Master Curve-based index temperature (RTTo ≡ T0 + 19.4°C) as an alternative to traditional RTNDT-based methods of positioning the ASME KIc, and KIR curves. This approach was adopted to enable use of Master Curve technology without requiring the wholesale changes to the structure of the ASME Code that would be needed to use all aspects of Master Curve technology. For the brittle failure analysis considering irradiation embrittlement additionally a procedure to predict the adjustment of fracture toughness for EOL from irradiation surveillance results must be available as by NRC R.G. 1.99 Rev. 2 e.g.: ART = Initial RTNDT + ΔRTNDT + Margin. The conservatism of this procedure when RTNDT is replaced by RTTo is investigated for western nuclear grade pressure vessel steels and their welds. Based on a systematic evaluation of nearly 100 different irradiated material data sets, a simple relation between RTToirr, RTToref and ΔT41JRG is proposed. The relation makes use of the R.G. 1.99 Rev. 2 and enables the minimizing of margins, necessary for conventional correlations based on temperature shifts. As an example, the method is used to assess the RTTo as a function of fluence for several German pressure vessel steels and corresponding welds. It is shown that the method is robust and well suited for codification.

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-425
Author(s):  
Kim R. W. Wallin ◽  
Gerhard Nagel ◽  
Elisabeth Keim ◽  
Dieter Siegele

The ASME code cases N-629 and N-631 permit the use of a master curve-based index temperature (RTTo≡T0+19.4°C) as an alternative to traditional RTNDT-based methods of positioning the ASME KIC and KIR curves. This approach was adopted to enable the use of master curve technology without requiring the wholesale changes to the structure of the ASME code that would be needed to use all aspects of master curve technology. For the brittle failure analysis considering irradiation embrittlement an additional procedure to predict the adjustment of fracture toughness for end of life (EOL) from irradiation surveillance results must be available as by NRC R.G. 1.99 Rev. 2, e.g., the adjusted reference temperature is defined as ART=initialRTNDT+ΔRTNDT+margin. The conservatism of this procedure when RTNDT is replaced by RTTo is investigated for western nuclear grade pressure vessel steels and their welds. Based on a systematic evaluation of nearly 100 different irradiated material data sets, a simple relation between RTToirr, RTToref, and ΔT41JRG is proposed. The relation makes use of the R.G. 1.99 Rev. 2 and enables the minimizing of margins, necessary for conventional correlations based on temperature shifts. As an example, the method is used to assess the RTTo as a function of fluence for several German pressure vessel steels and corresponding welds. It is shown that the method is robust and well suited for codification.


2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Siegele ◽  
Elisabeth Keim ◽  
Gerhard Nagel

For the introduction of the new reference temperature RTT0 of the ASME Code Cases N-629 and N-631 into the German Standard KTA 3201.2, the applicability of RTT0 was validated by the reevaluation of the existing fracture toughness database of German reactor pressure vessel. (RPV) steels including unirradiated and irradiated base materials and weld metal data. The test temperatures of the database were standardized to the reference temperature T0 of the master curve of the data sets and the database was compared with the ASME KIC-curve as adjusted by RTT0. The KIC-curve adjusted by RTT0 enveloped both the 1T-size adjusted database and also the as-measured database, corresponding to the definition of RTT0. Thus, the results also prove the validity of the KIC(RTT0)-curve for allowable flaw sizes and up to the crack length spectrum of the ASME KIC-database without size adjustment of T0. The results of both investigations confirmed the validity of RTT0 for German RPV steels. The majority of existing fracture toughness data are based on KIC-values. More recent data are (KJC) related to the issuing of ASTM E 1921 in 1997 and to the success of the master curve-based T0 approach. Therefore, the possible difference between T0 determined from KJC and from KIC was investigated with available databases for RPV steels. The comparison of T0(KJC) and T0(KIC) showed a 1:1 correlation proving the equivalence of KJC and KIC in the determination of T0.


1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Iwadate ◽  
Y. Tanaka ◽  
H. Takemata

A single and generalized prediction method of fracture toughness KIC transition curves of pressure vessel steels has been greatly desired by engineers in the petro-chemical and nuclear power industries, especially from the viewpoint of life extension of reactor pressure vessels. In this paper, the toughness degradation of Cr-Mo steels during long-term service was examined and the two prediction methods of fracture toughness KIC transition curves were studied using the data of 54 heats. 1) The toughness degradation of 2 1/4Cr-1Mo steels levels off within around 50,000 h service. 2) The FATT versus J-factor (=(Si+Mn)(P+Sn)×104) and/or X (=(10P+5Sb+4Sn+As)x10−2) relationships to estimate the maximum embrittlement of Cr-Mo steels were obtained. 3) A master curve method developed by authors et al.; that is, the method using a KIC/KIC−US versus excess temperature master curve of each material was presented for 2 1/4Cr-1Mo, 1 1/4Cr-1/2Mo, 1Cr and 1/2Mo chemical pressure vessel steels and ASTM A508 C1.1, A508 C1.2, A508 C1.3 and A533 Gr.B C1.1 nuclear pressure vessel steels, where KIC−US is the upper-shelf fracture toughness and excess temperature is test temperature minus FATT. 4) A generalized prediction method to predict the KIC transition curves of any low-alloy steels was developed. This method consists of KIC/KIC−US versus T–T0 master curve and temperature shift ΔT between fracture toughness and CVN impact transition curves versus yield strength relationship, where To is the temperature showing 50 percent KIC−US of the material. 5) The KIC transition curves predicted using both methods showed a good agreement with the lower bound of measured KJC values obtained from JC tests.


Author(s):  
Minoru Tomimatsu ◽  
Takashi Hirano ◽  
Seiji Asada ◽  
Ryoichi Saeki ◽  
Naoki Miura ◽  
...  

The Master Curve Approach for assessing fracture toughness of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels has been accepted throughout the world. The Master Curve Approach using fracture toughness data obtained from RPV steels in Japan has been investigated in order to incorporate this approach into the Japanese Electric Association (JEA) Code 4206, “Method of Verification Tests of the Fracture Toughness for Nuclear Power Plant Components”. This paper presents the applicability of the Master Curve Approach for Japanese RPV steels.


2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Naoki Soneda ◽  
Shu Sawai ◽  
Shinsuke Sakai

The Master Curve gives the relation between the median of fracture toughness of ferritic steels and the temperature in the ductile–brittle transition temperature region. The procedure used to determine the Master Curve is provided in the current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E1921 standard. By considering the substitution of the alternative lower-bound curves based on the Master Curve approach for the KIc curves based on reference data sets in the present codes such as ASME Code Cases N-629 and N-631, the statistical characteristic should be well incorporated in the determination of the lower-bound curves. Appendix X4 in the ASTM standard describes the procedure used to derive the lower-bound curves; however, it appears to be addressed without sufficient consideration of the statistical reliability. In this study, we propose a rational determination method of lower-bound fracture toughness curves using the Master Curve approach. The method considers the effect of sample size in the determination of the tolerance-bound curve. The adequacy of the proposed method was verified by comparing the tolerance-bound curve with the fracture toughness database for national reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels including plate and forging obtained from 4 T to 0.4 T C(T) specimens and 0.4 T SE(B) specimens. The method allows the application of the Master Curve using fewer specimens, which can coexist with the present surveillance program.


Author(s):  
William L. Server ◽  
Timothy J. Griesbach ◽  
Stan T. Rosinski

The Master Curve method has been developed to determine fracture toughness of a specific material in the brittle-to-ductile transition range. This method is technically more descriptive of actual material behavior and accounts for the statistical nature of fracture toughness properties as an alternative to the current ASME Code reference toughness curves. The Master Curve method uses a single temperature, To, as an index of the Master Curve fracture toughness transition temperature. This method has been successfully applied to numerous fracture toughness data sets of pressure vessel steels contained in the Master Curve database, including the beltline materials for the Kewaunee reactor pressure vessel. The database currently contains over 5,500 toughness data records for vessel weld, plate and forging materials, and it is currently being updated to include more recent fracture toughness data. Application of Master Curve fracture toughness data to reactor pressure vessel (RPV) integrity evaluations requires some assumptions relative to the degree of constraint in the fracture toughness test specimens versus the actual assumed RPV flaw. An excessive degree of conservatism can be introduced if the constraint levels are substantially different. In performing a Master Curve evaluation, the analysis may be restricted by the type of fracture toughness data available. Any excess conservatism should be appropriately considered when the overall safety margin is applied. For example, the precracked Charpy three-point bend specimen actually has some advantages over the compact tension specimen when the application involves a shallow surface flaw in a RPV wall. This paper analyzes some key fracture toughness results from several weld data sets containing both unirradiated and irradiated data to evaluate constraint effects in fracture toughness and pre-cracked Charpy specimens. The evaluated To values were compared to determine if there is any difference in bias from specimen geometry between the unirradiated and irradiated data.


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