Fatigue growth of non self-similar surface and/or embedded cracks in light water reactor components

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5293787

Sih, G C

Sections III and XI of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, which provides guidance on the fatigue life of nuclear reactor components are reviewed. Limitations of the current design practice for estimating crack growth rates are pointed out and raise uncertainties on the establishment of design limits in view of recent experimental observations of fatigue crack growth behavior which differs from the assumptions made in the ASME Codes. Improvements on the underlying assumptions and analysis methods are suggested. The strain energy density criterion is presented as the basis for developing a design-by-analysis methodology to assess the fatigue life of components weakened by surface and embedded cracks. The proposed methodology has the capability to simulate the growth of fatigue cracks in a non self-similar fashion and at a non-uniform rate.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (USA). Inst. of Fracture and Solid Mechanics
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5293787
• Report Number(s): ALO-1009; ON: DE82014648
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
BWR TYPE REACTORS
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STRESS ANALYSIS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS