An analysis of dynamic crack propagation and arrest in a nuclear pressure vessel under thermal shock conditions

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., Pressure Vessels Piping Div., (Tech. Rep.) PVP; (United States)

OSTI ID:5692697

Jung, J; Kanninen, M F

The inner wall of a nuclear pressure vessel can become embrittled during service due to irradiation effects. As a result, a small flaw could become critical during the thermal shock that would accompany a loss-of-coolant-accident. To assess the consequences of this possibility, elastodynamic computations were performed on the subsequent rapid unstable crack run-arrest events. One difficulty is the lack of reliable dynamic fracture toughness data as a function of crack speed and temperature. However, using plausible estimates, computational results were obtained for comparison with conventional quasi-static analyses. These indicate that the neglect of the dynamic effects is mildly anti-conservative for this application.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM
• OSTI ID: 5692697
• Report Number(s): CONF-820601-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., Pressure Vessels Piping Div., (Tech. Rep.) PVP; (United States) Journal Volume: PVP-VOL. 58
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220200* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
ACCIDENTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONTAINERS
CRACK PROPAGATION
DYNAMICS
ELASTICITY
EMBRITTLEMENT
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
IRRADIATION
LOSS OF COOLANT
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR VESSELS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TENSILE PROPERTIES
THERMAL SHOCK
VELOCITY
WALLS