Nuclear reactor pressure vessel flaw distribution development. Phase 2, Methodology and application

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:10110385

Kennedy, E L; Foulds, J R; Basin, S L ^[1]

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1. Failure Analysis Associates, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Previous attempts to develop flaw distributions for probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses of pressurized water reactor (PWR) vessels have aimed at the estimation of a ``generic`` distribution applicable to all PWR vessels. In contrast, this report describes (1) a new flaw distribution development analytic methodology that can be applied to the analysis of vessel-specific inservice inspection (ISI) data, and (2) results of the application of the methodology to the analysis of flaw data for each vessel case (ISI data on three PWR vessels and laboratory inspection data on sections of the Midland reactor vessel). Results of this study show significant variation among the flaw distributions derived from the various data sets analyzed, strongly suggesting than a vessel-specific flaw distribution (for vessel integrity prediction under pressurized thermal shock) is preferred over a ``generic`` distribution. In addition, quantitative inspection system flaw sizing accuracy requirements have been identified for developing a flaw distribution from vessel ISI data. The new flaw data analysis methodology also permits quantifying the reliability of the flaw distribution estimate. Included in the report are identified needs for further development of several aspects of ISI data acquisition and vessel integrity prediction practice.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Failure Analysis Associates, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 10110385
• Report Number(s): SAND--91-7073; ON: DE92005353
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200
DEFECTS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
FRACTURE MECHANICS
INSPECTION
O CODES
POWER REACTORS
NONBREEDING
LIGHT-WATER MODERATED
NONBOILING WATER COOLED
PRESSURE VESSELS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
ULTRASONIC TESTING
V CODES