Failure probability estimate of Type 304 stainless steel piping

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5322293

Daugherty, W L; Awadalla, N G; Sindelar, R L; Mehta, H S; Ranganath, S ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA)

The primary source of in-service degradation of the SRS production reactor process water piping is intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). IGSCC has occurred in a limited number of weld heat affected zones, areas known to be susceptible to IGSCC. A model has been developed to combine crack growth rates, crack size distributions, in-service examination reliability estimates and other considerations to estimate the pipe large-break frequency. This frequency estimates the probability that an IGSCC crack will initiate, escape detection by ultrasonic (UT) examination, and grow to instability prior to extending through-wall and being detected by the sensitive leak detection system. These four factors estimate the occurrence of several conditions that must coexist in order for a crack to lead to a large break of the process piping. When evaluated for the SRS production reactors, they produce an extremely low break frequency. The objective of this paper is to present the assumptions, methodology, results and conclusion of a probabilistic evaluation for the direct failure of the primary coolant piping resulting from normal operation and seismic loads. This evaluation was performed to support the ongoing PRA effort and to complement deterministic analyses addressing the credibility of a double-ended guillotine break. 5 refs., 2 figs.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 5322293
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-89-83-Rev.1; CONF-8910192--8-Rev.1; ON: DE90003896
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
DETECTION
HEAT AFFECTED ZONE
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PIPES
PROBABILITY
PRODUCTION REACTORS
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR19NI10
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
ZONES