Vessel behavior following a through-wall crack
A fracture mechanics model has been developed to predict the behavior of a reactor pressure vessel following the occurrence of a through-wall crack during a pressurized thermal shock event. This study has been coordinated with the Integrated Pressurized Thermal Shock (IPTS) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The fracture mechanics model uses as inputs the critical transients and probabilities of through-wall cracks from the IPTS Program. The model has been applied to predict the modes of failure for plant specific vessel characteristics. A Monte Carlo type of computer code has been written to predict the probabilities of alternative failure modes. This code treats the fracture mechanics properties of the various welds and plates of a vessel as random variables. The computer code also calculates the crack driving force as a function of the crack length and the internal pressure for critical times during the transient. The fracture mechanics model has been applied in calculations that simulate the Oconee-1 reactor pressure vessel. The model predicted that about 50% of the through-wall axial cracks will turn and follow a circumferential weld giving a potential for missiles. Missile arrest calculations predict that vertical as well as potential horizontal missiles will be arrested and will be confined to the vessel enclosure cavity. In future work, plant specific analyses will be continued with calculations that simulate Calvert Cliff 1 and H.B. Robinson 2 reactor vessels.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6379102
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-12547; CONF-8410142-74; ON: TI85004536
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Revisiting the Integrated Pressurized Thermal Shock Studies of an Aging Pressurized Water Reactor
Overview of the Integrated Pressurized Thermal-Shock (IPTS) study
Related Subjects
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONTAINERS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORNL
PRESSURE VESSELS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
SIMULATION
STRESS ANALYSIS
STRESSES
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
THERMAL SHOCK
THERMAL STRESSES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS