Heikki Keinänen

Consistency of fracture assessment criteria for the NESC-1 thermal shock test

Abstract In this report, a best estimate analysis of the NESC Spinning Cylinder test is performed and the consistency of the state of the art application of the different fracture parameters and assessments criteria is examined. Direct fracture toughness measurements best describes the fracture behavior of the NESC Spinning Cylinder in the simulated pressurized thermal shock loading. The concept based on the ASME RT NDT reference temperature (either Pellini or Cv test) does not provide consistent description of the NESC1 fracture assessment. In general the fracture mode, i.e. ductile initiation and tearing followed by cleavage event, was successfully estimated by 3D FE based fracture assessment, combined with Master Curve description of fracture toughness.

Fracture behaviour of large scale pressure vessels in the hydrotest

Abstract Within the Nordic Countries a four-year research programme in the area of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics was initiated in 1985. This programme aims to assess the leak-before-break (LBB) criteria for pressure vessels and piping. The main experimental effort of the programme is to rupture large size pressure vessels, one having dimensions resembling those of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, under internal pressure. Artificial flaws were made on the inner wall of the vessels. The dimensions of the flaws were defined by calculations so that the LBB condition was just anticipated during the test. For the time being two tests have been performed. The first test with a large pressure vessel was pressurized by water at 60°C, which was the lowest acceptable temperature for the hydrotest. In this paper experimental details including flaw preparation, instrumentation and material characterization are described. The fracture behaviour as well as experimental results of the tests are reported and compared to the analytical solutions of the analyses.

Crack initiation and arrest in a pressurized thermal shock test for a model pressure vessel made of VVER-440 reactor pressure vessel steel

Abstract A joint pressure vessel integrity research programme involving three partners is being carried out during 1990–1995. The partners are the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey” from Russia, IVO International Ltd (IVO) from Finland, and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The main objective of the research programme is to increase the reliability of the VVER-440 reactor pressure vessel safety analysis. This is achieved by providing material property data for the VVER-440 pressure vessel steel, and by producing experimental understanding of the crack behaviour in pressurized thermal shock loading for the validation of different fracture assessment methods. The programme is divided into four parts: pressure vessel tests, material characterization, computational fracture analyses, and evaluation of the analysis methods. The testing programme comprises tests on two model pressure vessels with artificial axial outer surface flaws. The first model vessel had circumferential weld seam at the mid-length of the vessel. A special embrittling heat treatment is applied to the vessels before tests to simulate the fracture toughness at the end-of-life condition of a real reactor pressure vessel. The sixth test on the first model led to crack initiation followed by arrest. After the testing phase, material characterization was performed. Comparison of calculated and experimental data generally led to a good correlation, although the work is being continued to resolve the discrepancies between the measured initiation and arrest properties of the material.

Validation of experimental and computational fracture assessment methods for flawed pressure components

Abstract Safety and integrity assessments of pressure boundary components require reliable knowledge of the material property values and the validated experimental and computational analysis methods. To improve the accuracy and validity of the experimental and computational fracture assessment methods, a four year Nordic research programme under the auspices of the Nordic Liaison Committee of Atomic Energy was initiated in 1985 and is now under completion. The main technical objective of the programme was to clarify how catastrophic failure can be prevented in pressure vessels and pipings. Experiments with small fracture mechanics specimens and pressure vessels were performed to validate the computational fracture assessment analysis. Two tests were conducted on a decommissioned full-scale chemical reactor pressure vessel from an oil refinery plant, and were extensively instrumented, e.g. by utilizing a 64-channel acoustic emission monitoring system. The scattering of their material property values were determined by numerous fracture mechanics samples. In addition, as a part of the experimental work, the reactor pressure vessel was repaired by welding after the first test. The repair was carried out without postweld heat treatment and welding was done by applying the temper-bead technique. Residual stresses were measured during and after welding. Different fracture assessment methods were developed and subsequently applied to the tested components. Inter-laboratory round robin programmes with the participation of several laboratories were arranged to examine elastic-plastic finite element calculations and fracture mechanics testing.

Fracture behaviour simulation of flawed full scale pressure vessel

Abstract In 1985 a four year research programme in elastic-plastic fracture mechanics was initiated within the Nordic countries. The aim of the programme was to verify the methods used for fracture analysis of real structures. A large cylindrical pressure vessel, having dimensions resembling those of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, was tested in 1986. An artificial sharp axial surface flaw was made on the inner wall of the vessel. One of the circumferential welds intersected the crack at its midpoint. Failure of the vessel occurred as local rupture in the weld area. A maintenance deck, which was located around the midsection of the pressure vessel, was partially removed so as to prevent interference with the expected vessel deformations upon pressurization. After the test, two three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analyses were performed taking into account the existence of the circumferential weld in the ligament. In the first case, the original flawed structure was modelled allowing for different stress-strain curves of the base and weld material. In the second analysis, the model included a short through-the-wall crack in the weldment. Additionally, a simple two-dimensional analysis was made assuming the crack to be infinitely long in the axial direction. A three-dimensional analysis was repeated without considering the effect of the maintenance deck. For fracture mechanics evaluation, J- integrals along the crack front were calculated. In this paper, results of the three-dimensional analyses are reported and compared to experimental findings.

Computation of residual stresses for a repair weld case

The target of EU FP7 STYLE project “Structural integrity for lifetime management – non-RPV component” was to improve and unify the methods of a structural integrity assessment in the ageing and lifetime management of reactor coolant pressure boundary components. One of the mock-ups in the project was manufactures from two pipes welded together. After completion of the girth weld, a deep weld repair was inserted into the girth weld. As a part of the work, round-robin finite element computations were performed to determine residual stresses after repair welding and the computational results were compared to the deep hole drilling measurements. In this paper, the details and recomputed results of one of the analyses is presented. A part of the input data was generated with in-house codes. Sequential thermal and mechanical analyses were performed with a small strain and displacement formulation. The comparison of computed and measured temperatures and stresses shows good agreement. The computed hoop stress at the repair mid-length was higher than the axial stress. Both stresses were tensile through the wall thickness. Confidence in the results was also gained as the results were compared to those presented in the literature for a repair welding case.

Results of EC FP7 Structural Performance of MULTI-METAL Component Project: Dissimilar Metal Welds Fracture Resistance Investigation

The purpose of this paper is to disseminate the results of an EURATOM project MULTI-METAL focusing on the structural integrity assessment of dissimilar metal welds. The project started in February 2012 and ended in February 2015. The project is coordinated by VTT with 10 partner organizations from Europe : Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland (VTT) – Coordinator, AREVA NP, France and Germany (ANP), Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux energies alternatives, France (CEA), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Belgium (JRC), EdF-Energy, United Kingdom (BE), Bay Zoltan Foundation for Applied Research, Hungary (BZF), Electricite de France, France (EDF), TECNATOM, Spain (TEC), Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia (JSI), Studsvik Nuclear AB, Sweden (STU).The underlying aim of the project is to provide recommendations for a good practice approach for the integrity assessment (especially testing) of tough dissimilar metal welds as part of overall ductile integrity analyses; this has been presented in the project overview [1].Experience on typical DMWs concerning manufacturing, residual stresses, flaw assessment and testing have been reviewed. The specimens were taken from mock-ups of welded plates. Three DMWs design variants have been covered: narrow gap DMW with Ni-52, DMW with austenitic steel buttering and a DMW with Nienriched austenitic steel buttering. Mechanical characterization and fracture mechanics testing (CT, SEN(B) and SEN(T) specimens) have been performed. Interpretation of the test has required numerical analysis since the standard ASTM E1820 [2] (CT, SEN(B)) and guidelines dealing with SEN(T) [3][4] are not directly intended to cover DMW.The motivation of the project and its results are generally presented and discussed.Copyright

Validation of Constraint Based Methodology in Structural Integrity – VOCALIST: Experimental Programme

The aim of VOCALIST (Validation of Constraint-Based Assessment Methodology in Structural Integrity) is to develop and validate innovative procedures for assessing the level of, and possible changes to, constraint-related safety margins in ageing pressure boundary components [1]. An iterative process of experiment and analysis will address this overall objective. The experimental investigations within VOCALIST are performed on three different materials representing the as new state of materials used for components of nuclear power plants as well as a state representing an in service degraded state of RPV materials. Within the experimental programme fracture mechanics specimens with different constraint situations are tested in order to quantify the influence of the constraint on the specimens failure behaviour as a basis for the advanced components integrity assessment. The investigations are performed on small laboratory specimens as well as on biaxially loaded cruciform specimens and large piping components. Within this contribution the experimental programme of VOCALIST is introduced. The investigated materials are characterized in terms of their mechanical properties. Special consideration is given to results of fracture mechanics specimens highlighting the constraint effect via the shallow crack effect and its contribution to a shift of the master curve.Copyright

Computational methods assuring nuclear power plant structural integrity and safety: an overview of the recent activities at VTT

Numerical, simplified engineering and standardised methods are applied in the safety analyses of primary circuit components and reactor pressure vessels. The integrity assessment procedures require input relating both to the steady state and transient loading actual material properties data and precise knowledge of the size and geometry of defects. Current procedures hold extensive information regarding these aspects. It is important to verify the accuracy of the different assessment methods especially in the case of complex structures and loading. The focus of this paper is on the recent results and development of computational fracture assessment methods at VTT Manufacturing Technology. The methods include effective engineering type tools for rapid structural integrity assessments and more sophisticated finite-element based methods. An integrated PC-based program system MASI for engineering fracture analysis is described. A summary of the verification of the methods in computational benchmark analyses and against the results of large scale experiments is presented.

Verification of the analysis for fracture behaviour estimation of pressure vessels

Abstract Within the Nordic countries a four-year research programme in the area of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics was initiated in 1985. The main technical objective of the programme is to clarify how catastrophic, that is unstable, fracture can be prevented in pressure vessels and piping by using the leak-before-break concept. In this article the experimental details of the first tests are described and compared to various analytical and numerical (2D and 3D) analyses.