Elastic-plastic analyses of surface flaws in a reactor vessel

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Pressure Vessel Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3264339· OSTI ID:5122671

Wilkening, W W; deLorenzi, H G; Bairshpolsky, M

Elastic-plastic analyses have been performed for the ASME Maximum Postulated Flaw and for three other semielliptical surface flaws in the beltline region of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The crack driving force was calculated as the energy release rate, J, using the virtual crack extension method. The results illustrate that, at the design pressure, plasticity near the crack front is so limited for three of the flaws that an elastic analysis is adequate. At higher pressures, however, the elastic analyses become increasingly nonconservative and would grossly underestimate the severity of the flaws. The variation of both J and crack opening displacement, COD, along the crack front were studied. The analyses demonstrate that J and COD are equivalent measures of the crack driving force, and further demonstrate that a realistic 3-D elastic-plastic analysis is needed to properly assess the severity of surface flaws.

• Research Organization: General Electric Company, Corporate Research and Development, Schenectady, N.Y.
• OSTI ID: 5122671
• Journal Information: J. Pressure Vessel Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Pressure Vessel Technol.; (United States) Vol. 106:3; ISSN JPVTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220200* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
CONTAINERS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
DEFECTS
ELASTICITY
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASTICITY
PRESSURE EFFECTS
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTORS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TESTING
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS