Residual life assessment of light water reactor pressure vessels

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5265057

Shah, V N; Server, W L; Odette, G R; Swaroop, A V

The service-dependent degradation (agina) of light water reactor (LWR) pressure vessels due to irradiation embrittlement is discussed in this paper. The major variable which influence the irradiation embrittlement of LWR vessels are the copper and nickel content of the vessel materials and the fluence. The vessel beltline region is subjected to the largest fluences. A surveillance program, which consists of tensile and Charpy-V-notch (CVN) testing of irradiated specimens of base, heat-affected-zone, and weld materials, is required to monitor changes in their embrittlement. Three main unresolved technical issues are: the limited range and accuracy of the current correlations for caluclating shifts in the reference temperature for nil-ductility transition (RT/sub NDT/) and changes in the Charpy upper shelf energy: the need to demonstrate the conservatism of using CVN-based RT/sub NDT/ shifts for certain sensitive reactor pressure vessel materials; and the type of surveillance program required for any renewed operating license period. The damage caused by irradiation embrittlement can impact plant operating procedures, including heatupcooldown and hydrostatic test procedures, as well as the acceptability of various plant transients. 23 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA); Cloud (Robert L.) Associates, Inc., Berkeley, CA (USA); California Univ., Santa Barbara (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 5265057
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-15187; CONF-8705275-1; ON: DE88007711
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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AGING
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHARPY TEST
CONTAINERS
CRACKS
DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
EMBRITTLEMENT
IMPACT TESTS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL TESTS
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PRESSURE VESSELS
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RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
SERVICE LIFE
TESTING
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS