Two-dimensional fatigue crack analysis of an HT-9 fusion reactor first wall

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:5857050

Yu, Geping; Lee, Pingshing ^[1]

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1. National Tsing Hua Univ., Hsinchu (Taiwan)

The unique environment in a tokamak fusion reactor motivated a more sophisticated lifetime analysis of a fusion reactor's first wall. A two-dimensional crack growth of surface flaws; bending stress intensity factors, wall thinning and crack erosion effects; temperature; and embrittlement effects on the fatigue crack growth rate are included in the analysis. Low-swelling metals, such as ferritic steel HT-9, are considered as developing alloys for the long-life component of the first wall. Life prediction of a first wall was carried out by a sensitivity study on parameters such as wall thickness, surface heat flux, initial flaw depth, aspect ratio, erosion rate, etc. The results demonstrate that the reduction in fracture toughness caused by irradiation embrittlement will increase the potential for brittle fracture to limit lifetime. Lifetime increases with decreasing initial crack depth. Because a smaller flaw has a lower cycle stress intensity factor, lower fatigue crack growth results in longer life. Lifetime can be significantly reduced by staring with a long, narrow flaw rather than a semicircular one for HT-9 ferritic steel. Wall thinning will cause a reduction in cyclic thermal stress; a small amount of erosion will allow the wall to have a longer lifetime. But too much surface erosion can cause membrane stress to increase rapidly and cause the wall to leak before brittle fracture.

• OSTI ID: 5857050
• Report Number(s): CONF-910603--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 63
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700480* -- Fusion Technology-- Component Development
ALLOY-HT-9
ALLOYS
BENDING
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
CREEP
DEFECTS
DEFORMATION
EROSION
FATIGUE
FIRST WALL
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MARTENSITIC STEELS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MOLYBDEN
MOLYBDENUM ADDITIONS
Ma
Materials Studies-- (1992-)
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SERVICE LIFE
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR12MOV
STEELS
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS
STRESSES
SWELLING
THERMAL STRESSES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS