An advanced coupled environment fracture model for predicting crack growth rate in LWR heat transport circuits
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Our previously described coupled environment fracture model (CEFM) for intergrannular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in light water reactor heat transport circuit components has been extended to consider steel corrosion, oxidation of hydrogen, and the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, in addition to the reduction of oxygen (as in the original CEFM), as charge transfer reactions occurring on the external surfaces. The model invokes charge conservation as the principal condition that must be satisfied during crack growth and predicts that control of the crack growth rate (CGR) may reside in either the crack internal or external environments. The model provides rational explanations for the effects of oxygen, conductivity, stress, and hydrogen (as used in hydrogen water chemistry in BWRs) on CGR in sensitized Type 304 in simulated LWR in-vessel environments and may become the basis of a deterministic method for estimating component life times.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-84ER45164
- OSTI ID:
- 48066
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910808--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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