BS 7910: History and Future Developments

BS 7910, the UK procedure for the assessment of flaws in metallic structures, was first published almost 30 years ago in the form of a fracture/fatigue assessment procedure, PD6493. It provided the basis for analysing fabrication flaws and the need for repair in a rational fashion, rather than relying on long-established (and essentially arbitrary) workmanship rules. The UK offshore industry in particular embraced this new approach to flaw assessment, which is now widely recognised by safety authorities and specifically referred to in certain design codes, including codes for pressure equipment. Since its first publication in 1980, PD6493/BS 7910 has been regularly maintained and expanded, taking in elements of other publications such as the UK power industry’s fracture assessment procedure R6 (in particular the Failure Assessment Diagram approach), the creep assessment procedure PD6539 and the gas transmission industry’s approach to assessment of locally thinned areas in pipelines. The FITNET European thematic network, run between 2002 and 2006, has further advanced the state of the art, bringing in assessment methods from SINTAP (an earlier European research project), R6, R5 and elsewhere. In particular, the FITNET fracture assessment methods represent considerable advances over the current BS 7910 methods; for example, weld strength mismatch can be explicitly analysed by using FITNET Option 2, and crack tip constraint through Option 5. Corrosion assessment methods in FITNET are also more versatile than those of BS 7910, and now include methods for vessels and elbows as well as for pipelines. In view of these recent advances, the BS 7910 committee has decided to incorporate many elements of the FITNET procedure into the next edition of BS 7910, to be published c2012. This paper summarises the history of the development of BS 7910, its relationship with other flaw assessment procedures (in particular FITNET and R6) and its future.

Experimental Study of Ductile Fracture for Non-Aligned Multiple Flaws in a Plate

The fitness-for-service code requires the characterization of non-aligned multiple flaws for the flaw evaluation, which is performed using a flaw proximity rule. Worldwide almost all codes provide own proximity rule, often with unclear technical bases of the application of proximity rule to ductile fracture. To clarify the appropriate proximity rule for non-aligned multiple flaws in fully plastic fracture, fracture tests on flat plate specimen with non-aligned multiple through wall flaws were conducted at ambient temperature. The emphasis of this study was put on the flaw alignment rule, which determines whether non-aligned flaws are treated as independent or aligned onto the same plane for the purpose of flaw evaluations. The effects of the flaw separation and flaw size on the maximum load were investigated. The experimental results were compared with the estimations of the collapse load using the alignment rules in the ASME Section XI, BS7910 and API 579-1 codes. A new estimation procedure specific to the fully plastic fracture was proposed and compared with the comparison with the experimental results.

Numerical Simulation on the Sound Field of Gas Valve Due to Inner Leakage

Recently, acoustic testing method has been widely used for valve leakage inspection. Traditional method has difficulty carrying out research on the acoustic testing of valve leakage due to the complex geometry of the valve and the effect of flow on sound field. Thus, a numerical method was put forward based on Reynolds average N-S equation and k – ε equation in order to investigate the flow of the inner leakage of ball valve, needle valve and gate valve. Furthermore, difference time domain method was adopted to simulate the noise field of the flow based on Lighthill acoustic equation. And the characteristics of acoustic distribution were obtained. The results showed that turbulent flow was the main cause of jet noise inner the valve due to gas leakage. And the acoustic distribution had directivity. There were about 10 ∼ 25dB difference between the upstream and downstream of the leaking valve. The position with the highest sound pressure was also found out.

Effect of Additional Irradiation at Different Fluxes on RPV Embrittlement

The effect of the neutron flux at high fluence on the microstructural and hardness changes of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel was investigated. An accelerated test reactor irradiation of a RPV material, previously irradiated in commercial reactors, was carried out at the lowest possible neutron fluxes in order to obtain neutron fluences up to approximately 1×1020 n/cm2 (E>1MeV). State-of-the-art experimental techniques such as three-dimensional atom probe were applied to carry out advanced quantitative characterization of defect features in the materials. Results for the same material irradiated in both high and low flux conditions are compared. For neutron fluences above 6×1019 n/cm2 (E>1MeV) the difference in the neutron fluence dependence of the increase in hardness is not seen for any neutron flux condition. The volume fraction of solute atom clusters increases linearly with neutron fluence, and the influence of neutron flux is not significant. The component elements and the chemical composition of the solute atom clusters formed by the irradiation do not change regardless of the neutron fluence and flux. The square root of the volume fraction of the solute atom clusters is a good correlation with the increase in hardness.

Reliability Assessment of Piping With Cracks Using Advanced First-Order Second-Moment Method

This paper describes applicability of the 2 parameter assessment method using a reference stress method from the viewpoint of reliability. The applicability of the reference stress method was examined comparing both the GE-EPRI method. As a result, J-integral and limit load at the time of fracture evaluated by the reference stress method is almost equivalent to that by the GE-EPRI method. Furthermore, the partial safety factor (PSF) evaluated by reliability assessment has little difference between two methods, and the required safety factor is enveloped by the safety factor for Service Level-A and B defined in fitness for service (FFS) codes. These results show that of the reference stress method is applicable for J-integral calculation in fracture assessment.

Flaw Tolerance Evaluation of CASS Piping Materials

Prolonged exposure of cast austenitic stainless steels (CASS) to reactor coolant operating temperatures has been shown to lead to some degree of thermal aging embrittlement (reduction in fracture toughness of the material as a function of time). The fracture toughness data for the most severely aged CASS materials were found to be similar to those reported for some austenitic stainless steel weld metal, in particular weld metal from submerged arc welds (SAW). Such similarity offers the possibility for applying periodic inservice inspection flaw acceptance criteria, currently referenced in the ASME Code Section XI, Subsection IWB, for SAW and shielded metal arc weld (SMAW), to CASS component inservice inspection results. This paper presents the data to support both the proposed screening criteria (based on J-R crack growth resistance) for evaluation of the potential significance of the effects of thermal aging embrittlement for Class 1 reactor coolant system and primary pressure boundary CASS components, for those situations where the effects of thermal aging embrittlement are found to be potentially significant. The fitness for continued service is based on the comparison of the limiting fracture toughness data for Type 316 SAW welds and the lower-bound fracture toughness data reported for high-molybdenum, high delta-ferrite, statically and centrifugally-cast CASS materials. These comparisons and the associated flaw acceptance criteria can be used to justify exemptions from current ASME Code Section XI inservice inspection requirements through flaw tolerance evaluation (e.g., see ASME Nuclear Code Case N-481).

JSME Construction Standard for Superconducting Magnet of Fusion Facility “Procedure for Structural Design”

Superconducting magnets are structures which have an important role in Tokamak-type fusion reactor plants. They are huge and complicated structures exposed to very low temperature, 4K and the methods for keeping their integrity need to be newly developed. To maintain their structural integrity during the plant operation, a procedure for structural design was developed as a part of JSME Construction Standard for Superconducting Magnet. General structures and requirements of this procedure basically follow those of class 1 and class 2 components in light water reactor plants as specified in Section III, Division 1 of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, and include the evaluation of primary stress, secondary stress and fatigue damage. However, various new aspects have been incorporated considering the features of superconducting magnet structures. They can be summarized as follows: (i) A new procedure to determine allowable stress intensity value was employed to take advantage of the excellent property of newly developed austenitic stainless steels. (ii) Allowable stress system was simplified considering that only austenitic stainless steels and a nickel-based alloy are planned to be used. (iii) A design fatigue curve at 4K was developed for austenitic stainless steels. (iv) In addition to the conventional fatigue assessment based on design fatigue curves, guidelines for fatigue assessment based on crack growth prediction were added as a non-mandatory appendix to provide a tool of assurance for welded joints which are difficult to evaluate nondestructively during the service.

An Investigation of the Stress Intensity Factor Along a Corner Crack in Pressurizer Vent Nozzle Penetration Weld

Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics as well as linear-elastic fracture mechanics may be applied to evaluate a flaw in ferritic low alloy steel components for operating conditions when the material fracture resistance is controlled by upper shelf toughness behavior. In this paper, the distribution of the stress intensity factor along a corner crack using elastic-plastic fracture mechanics technique is investigated to assess the effect of a structural factor on mechanical loads in pressurizer vent nozzle penetration weld. For this purpose, the stress intensity factor and plastic zone correction of a corner crack are calculated under internal pressure, thermal stress and residual stress in accordance with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) equation and Irwin’s approach, respectively. The resulting stress intensity factor and plastic zone correction were compared with those obtained from Structural Integrity Associates (SIA) and Kinectrics, and were observed to be good agreement with Kinectrics results.

Study on Requirements to be Fulfilled With Rules for Repair Replacement Activities in JSME Code on Fitness-for-Service

Rules on Repair Replacement Activities (RRA) have been incorporated in Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) Code on Fitness-For-Service (FFS) since its 2004 edition. Since then, it has been a priority to clearly identify the RRA rules that should be endorsed by the regulatory authority, in addition to better organizing the relationship among inspection, flaw evaluation and RRA rules, especially inspection and flaw evaluation prior to RRA. A Task Group on development of RRA rules was organized under Subcommittee on JSME code on fitness-for-service to develop more organized RRA rules. In this paper, requirements for RRA rules, and related inspection and flaw evaluation rules that were studied in that Task Group (TG), are described. Discussion results of the TG contain two parts as follows. 1) Improving conformance of RRA rules to regulatory standard. Desirable conformance of some typical patterns of RRA to classified requirements of regulatory standards was discussed. Several cases of conformance were derived from this discussion. It was shown that individual RRA methods were classified into one or two of these conformance cases. 2) Identifying the relationship among RRA, inspection, and flaw evaluation rules. Desirable flow of inspection, flaw evaluation and RRA rules was illustrated at first. Based on a comparison between this flowchart and present RRA rules, pre-service/in-service inspection and flaw evaluation rules prior to RRA were picked out for development with the highest priority.

JSME Construction Standard for Superconducting Magnet of Fusion Facility “Fabrication, Installation, NDE and Testing”

For construction of TF coil, a “Fabrication and Installation” standard FM-4000, accompanying a mandatory Appendix 41 “Welded Joint” and a “Nondestructive Examination” standard FM-5000 accompanying a mandatory Appendix 51 for “Ultrasonic Examination Method” and a “Pressure and Leak Testing” standard FM-6000 have been developed, based on other JSME standards for nuclear power plant (JSME S NB1) and also ASME Sec. III ND, NF or Sec. VIII-div.2 Since TF coil structure does not include radioactive materials but is operated under high stress produced by high magnetic field, it is not safety-relevant-barrier. The requirements to construction should be relaxed in comparison with a fission reactor. The TF coil structure is mainly classified into two divisions; (1) Jacket and helium cooling pipe that is required for leak tightness, and (2) The general structure which is stressed only by the electromagnetic force. For the welded joint in the structure part (1), more severe requirements for nondestructive examination are prescribed in addition to the requirement for pressure and leak testing, based on JSME S NB1 and ASME Sec. III ND, NF or Sec. VIII-div.2. All of weld joints are classified into 6 categories depending on strength and direction of the stress induced by the magnetic field. Approved weld joint configuration and welding processes, nondestructive examinations, pressure and leak testing required and also acceptance criteria of discontinuity are defined in each category. Qualification of welding personnel and inspector are also defined, but its final responsibility is to the owner of TF coil.