Chang-Kyun Oh

Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics Analyses for Circumferential Part-Through Surface Cracks at the Interface Between Elbows and Pipes

This paper presents plastic limit loads and approximate J-integral estimates for circumferential part-through surface crack at the interface between elbows and pipes. Based on finite element limit analyses using elastic-perfectly plastic materials, plastic limit moments under in-plane bending are obtained and it is found that they are similar those for circumferential part-through surface cracks in the center of elbow. Based on present FE results, closed-form limit load solutions are proposed. Welds are not explicitly considered and all materials are assumed to be homogeneous. And the method to estimate the elastic-plastic J-integral for circumferential part-through surface cracks at the interface between elbows and straight pipes is proposed based on the reference stress approach, which was compared with corresponding solutions fur straight pipes.

Analysis of Overlay Weld Effect on Preventing PWSCC in Dissimilar Metal Weld

2000년10월V.C. Summer 원전의가동중검사시원자로압력용기출구노즐에서원주방향균열이발견된이후,2003년9월Tsuruga 2호기의가압기방출노즐이종금속용접부에서PWSCC에의한누설이발견되었고, 2005년봄D.C. Cook 1호기및2005년가을Millstone 3호기의가압기안전노즐에서도균열이발견되었다. 또한2006년가을Wolf Creek 원전의가압기밀림노즐및안전/방출노즐이종금속용접부에서다수의원주방향균열이발견되었다. 이는보수용접 등에 의해 발생된 인장 잔류응력과PWSCC에민감한니켈합금재료가사용되었기때문인것으로알려졌으며, 이종금속용접부에대한구조적건전성측면에서의문제가제기되었다.이에 따라 미국 원자력 산업계에서는 ASMECode Case N-504-3

Structural Integrity Assessment of High-Strength Anchor Bolt in Nuclear Power Plant based on Fracture Mechanics Concept

The failure of a bolted joint owing to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) has been considered one of the most important structural integrity issues in a nuclear power plant. In this study, the failure possibility of bolting, which is used to support the steam generator of a pressurized water reactor, owing to SCC and brittle fracture was evaluated in accordance with guidelines proposed by the Electric Power Research Institute, which are called the Reference Flaw Factor method. For this evaluation, first, detailed finite element stress analyses were conducted to obtain the actual nominal stresses of bolting in which either service loads or bolt preloads were considered. Based on these nominal stresses, the structural integrity of bolting was addressed from the viewpoints of SCC and toughness. In addition, the accuracy of the EPRI Reference Flaw Factor for assessing bolting failure was investigated using finite element fracture mechanics analyses.

Development of Stress-Modified Fracture Strain Criterion for Ductile Fracture of API X65 Steel

This paper presents a stress-modified fracture strain for API X65 steel used for gas pipeline, as a function of stress triaxiality. To determine the stress-modified fracture strain, tension test of bars with four different notch radii, made of API X65 steel, is firstly performed, from which true fracture strains are determined as a function of notch radius. Then detailed elastic-plastic, large strain finite element (FE) analyses are performed to estimate variations of stress triaxiality in the notched bars with load. Combining experimental with FE results provides the true fracture strain as a function of stress triaxiality, which is regarded as a criterion of ductile fracture. Application of the developed stress-modified fracture strain to failure prediction of gas pipes made of API X65 steel with various types of defects is discussed.

Environmental Fatigue Evaluation of a Korean Nuclear Power Plant

In accordance with the recommendation of USNRC and the U.S. license renewal experiences, the effects of reactor coolant environment on the fatigue life have to be considered for the continued operation of operating nuclear power plants as well as for the design of new plants. Although various evaluation methodologies have been suggested to date, a wide range of comparison of the existing methodologies has not been performed. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the environmental effects on the fatigue life of a reactor pressure vessel and ASME Class 1 piping by the various methodologies and to investigate the effects of the pressure and moment stress histories on the environmental fatigue evaluation. The evaluation results show that the environmental fatigue evaluation results based on the design cumulative usage factors for the reactor pressure vessel and ASME Class 1 piping satisfy the requirement of the ASME code except for charging nozzle. However, when using operating cumulative usage factor, the environmental fatigue evaluation result for the charging nozzle satisfies the ASME code allowable. And the effects of the pressure and moment stress histories on the environmental fatigue evaluation are considered to be small when using the modified rate approach.© 2008 ASME

Effect of Structural Geometry and Crack Location on Crack Driving Forces for Cracks in Welds

Defect assessment of a weld zone is important in fitness-for-service evaluation of plant components. Typically a J and estimation method for a defective homogeneous component is extended to a mismatched component, by incorporating the effect due to the strength mismatch between the weld metal and the base material. The key element is a mismatch limit load. For instance, the R6/R5 procedure employs an equivalent material concept, defined by a mismatch limit load. A premise is that if a proper mismatch limit load solution is available, the same concept can be used for any defect location (either a weld centre defect or a heat affected zone (HAZ) defect) and for any material combination (either two-material or multi-material combinations; either similar or dissimilar joints). However, validation is still limited, and thus a more systematic investigation is needed to generalise the suggestion to any geometry, any defect location and any material combination. This paper describes the effect of structural geometry on the integral for defective similar welds, based on systematic elastic-creep 2-D and 3-D finite element (FE) analyses, to attempt to elucidate the questions given above. It is found that the existing `equivalent material` concept is valid only for limited cases, although it provides conservative estimates of for most of cases. A modification to the existing equivalent material concept is suggested to improve accuracy.

Ductile Failure Analysis of Defective API X65 Pipes Based on Stress-Modified Fracture Strain Criterion

A local failure criterion for the API X65 steel is applied to predict ductile failure of full-scale API X65 pipes with simulated corrosion and gouge defects under internal pressure. The local failure criterion is the stress-modified fracture strain for the API X65 steel as a function of the stress triaxiality (defined by the ratio of the hydrostatic stress to the effective stress). Based on detailed FE analyses with the proposed local failure criteria, burst pressures of defective pipes are estimated and compared with experimental data. The predicted burst pressures are in good agreement with experimental data. Noting that an assessment equation against the gouge defect is not yet available, parametric study is performed, from which a simple equation is proposed to predict burst pressure fur API X65 pipes with gouge defects.

Limit Load and Fully Plastic Stress Analysis for Circular Notched Plates and Bars Using Fully Plastic Analysis

For the last four decades, tension test of notched bars has been performed to investigate the effect of stress triaxiality on ductile fracture. To quantify the effect of the notch radius on stress triaxiality, the Bridgman equation is typically used. However, recent works based on detailed finite element analysis have shown that the Bridgman equation is not correct, possibly due to his assumption that strain is constant in the necked ligament. Up to present, no systematic work has been performed on fully plastic stress fields for notched bars in tension. This paper presents fully plastic results for tension of notched bars and plates in plane strain, via finite element limit analysis. The notch radius is systematically varied, covering both un-cracked and cracked cases. Comparison of plastic limit loads with existing solutions shows that existing solutions are accurate for notched plates, but not for notched bars. Accordingly new limit load solutions are given for notched bars. Variations of stress triaxiality with the notch radius and depth are also given, which again indicates that the Bridgman solution for notched bars is not correct and inaccuracy depends on the notch radius and depth.