Evaluation of stress corrosion crack growth in BWR piping systems
This report presents the results of a study conducted to evaluate the effects of stress intensity factor and environment on the growth behavior of intergranular stress corrosion cracks in type 304 stainless steel piping systems. Most of the detected cracks are known to be circumferential in shape, and initially started at the inside surface in the heat affected zone near girth welds. These cracks grow both radially in-depth and circumferentially in length and, in extreme cases, may cause leakage in the installation. The propagation of the crack is essentially due to the influence of the following simultaneous factors: (1) the action of applied and residual stress; (2) sensitization of the base metal in the heat affected zone adjacent to girth weld; and (3) the continuous exposure of the material to an aggressive environment of high temperature water containing dissolved oxygen and some levels of impurities. Each of these factors and their effects on the piping systems is discussed in detail in the report. The report also evaluates the time required for hypothetical cracks in BWR pipes to propagate to their critical size. The pertinent times are computed and displayed graphically. Finally, parametric study is performed in order to assess the relative influence and sensitivity of the various input parameters (residual stress, crack growth law, diameter of pipe, initial size of defect, etc.) which have bearing on the growth behavior of the intergranular stress corrosion cracks in type 304 stainless steel. Cracks in large-diameter as well as in small-diameter pipes are considered and analyzed. 27 refs., 25 figs., 10 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 5746751
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CR-4221; BNL-NUREG-51874; ON: TI85012540
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
HEAT AFFECTED ZONE
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
INTERGRANULAR CORROSION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINTS
MATERIALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PIPES
REACTORS
RESIDUAL STRESSES
SIZE
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS
STRESSES
TIME DEPENDENCE
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
WELDED JOINTS
ZONES