B.J. Wiersma

Chloride-Induced Stress Corrosion Crack Growth Under Dry Salt Conditions: Application to Evaluate Growth Rates in Multipurpose Canisters

Many dry cask storage systems for spent nuclear fuel consist of a dry shielded canister (DSC) design that includes a welded construction (and weld-sealed) austenitic stainless steel multipurpose canister that is placed within a concrete overpack and stored on an outside pad. The present regulatory basis for dry cask storage is 60 years (20-year initial and up to 40-year relicense). Aging of the materials and structures of Dry Cask Storage Systems (DCSS) are considered in the demonstration that the safety functions are maintained throughout the license period. The sealed stainless steel canister provides a confinement function in a DCSS. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) may occur when chloride-bearing salts and/or dust deliquesce on the external surface of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canister at weld residual stress regions. An SCC growth rate test was developed using instrumented bolt-load compact tension specimens (ASTM E1681) with experimental apparatus that allows an initially dried salt to deliquesce and infuse naturally to the crack front under temperature and humidity parameters relevant to the canister storage environmental conditions. The shakedown tests were conducted over a range of relative humidity controlled by the guidance in ASTM E104 at 50 °C with salt assemblages of (1) mixture of artificial dust and deliquescent salts (2) a mixture of artificial dust and ASTM simulated sea salt. After five months exposure the specimens were examined for evidence of CISCC and observations are reported for both salt/dust mixtures. The test specimen and apparatus designs will be modified to enhance the interaction between the deliquescing salt and the crack front for more accurate characterization of the crack growth rate as a function of stress intensity factor, which is an essential input to the determination of in-service inspection frequency of SNF canisters.

FITNESS-FOR-SERVICE ASSESSMENT FOR A RADIOACTIVE WASTE TANK THAT CONTAINS STRESS CORROSION CRACKS

Radioactive wastes are confined in 49 underground storage tanks at the Savannah River Site. The tanks are examined by ultrasonic (UT) methods for thinning, pitting, and stress corrosion cracking in order to assess fitness-for-service. During an inspection in 2002, ten cracks were identified on one of the tanks. Given the location of the cracks (i.e., adjacent to welds, weld attachments, and weld repairs), fabrication details (e.g., this tank was not stress-relieved), and the service history the degradation mechanism was stress corrosion cracking. Crack instability calculations utilizing API-579 guidance were performed to show that the combination of expected future service condition hydrostatic and tensile weld residual stresses do not drive any of the identified cracks to instability. The cracks were re-inspected in 2007 to determine if crack growth had occurred. During this re-examination, one indication that was initially reported as a “possible perpendicular crack <25% through wall” in 2002, was clearly shown not to be a crack. Additionally, examination of a new area immediately adjacent to other cracks along a vertical weld revealed three new cracks. It is not known when these new cracks formed as they could very well have been present in 2002 as well. Therefore, a total of twelve cracks were evaluated during the re-examination. Comparison of the crack lengths measured in 2002 and 2007 revealed that crack growth had occurred in four of the nine previously measured cracks. The crack length extension ranged from 0.25 to 1.8 inches. However, in all cases the cracks still remained within the tensile weld residual stress zone (i.e., within two to three inches of the weld). The impact of the cracks that grew on the future service of Tank 15 was reassessed. API-579 crack instability calculations were again performed based on expected future service conditions and trended crack growth rates for the future tank service cycle. The analysis showed that the combined hydrostatic and tensile weld residual stresses do not drive the identified cracks to instability. This tank expected to be decommissioned in the near future. However, if these plans are delayed, it was recommended that a third examination of selected cracks in the tank be performed in 2014.Copyright

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF MATERIALS PROPERTIES FOR FLAW STABILITY ANALYSIS IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT SERVICE

Discovery of aging phenomena in the materials of a structure may arise after its design and construction that impact its structural integrity. This condition can be addressed through a demonstration of integrity with the material-specific degraded conditions. Two case studies of development of fracture and crack growth property data, and their application in development of in-service inspection programs for nuclear structures in the defense complex are presented. The first case study covers the development of fracture toughness properties in the form of J-R curves for rolled plate Type 304 stainless steel with Type 308 stainless steel filler in the application to demonstrate the integrity of the reactor tanks of the heavy water production reactors at the Savannah River Site. The fracture properties for the base, weld, and heat-affected zone of the weldments irradiated at low temperatures (110°-150°C) up to 6.4 dpaNRT and 275 appm helium were developed. An expert group provided consensus for application of the irradiated properties for material input to acceptance criteria for ultrasonic examination of the reactor tanks. Dr. Spencer H. Bush played a lead advisory role in this work. The second case study covers the development of fracture toughness for A285 carbon steel in high level radioactive waste tanks. The approach in this case study incorporated a statistical experimental design for material testing to address metallurgical factors important to fracture toughness. Tolerance intervals were constructed to identify the lower bound fracture toughness for material input to flaw disposition through acceptance by analysis.