LWR surveillance dosimetry improvement program: PSF metallurgical blind test results
The metallurgical irradiation experiment at the Oak Ridge Research Reactor Poolside Facility (ORR-PSF) was designed as a benchmark to test the accuracy of radiation embrittlement predictions in the pressure vessel wall of light water reactors on the basis of results from surveillance capsules. The PSF metallurgical Blind Test is concerned with the simulated surveillance capsule (SSC) and the simulated pressure vessel capsule (SPVC). The data from the ORR-PSF benchmark experiment are the basis for comparison with the predictions made by participants of the metallurgical ''Blind Test''. The Blind Test required the participants to predict the embrittlement of the irradiated specimen based only on dosimetry and metallurgical data from the SSC1 capsule. This exercise included both the prediction of damage fluence and the prediction of embrittlement based on the predicted fluence. A variety of prediction methodologies was used by the participants. No glaring biases or other deficiencies were found, but neither were any of the methods clearly superior to the others. Closer analysis shows a rather complex and poorly understood relation between fluence and material damage. Many prediction formulas can give an adequate approximation, but further improvement of the prediction methodology is unlikely at this time given the many unknown factors. Instead, attention should be focused on determining realistic uncertainties for the predicted material changes. The Blind Test comparisons provide some clues for the size of these uncertainties. In particular, higher uncertainties must be assigned to materials whose chemical composition lies outside the data set for which the prediction formula was obtained. 16 references, 14 figures, 5 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6474556
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8410142-26; ON: DE85002500
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360106 -- Metals & Alloys-- Radiation Effects
ALLOYS
BENCHMARKS
CONTAINERS
COOLING PONDS
DATA
DOSIMETRY
EMBRITTLEMENT
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FORECASTING
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS TESTING
METALLURGICAL EFFECTS
MONITORING
NEUTRON FLUENCE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORR REACTOR
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PONDS
PRESSURE VESSELS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
STEELS
SURFACE WATERS
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TESTING
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
WATER RESERVOIRS