Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: A simplified crack growth assessment procedure for PCP in FBR

Wakai, T.; Aoto, K. (Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC), O-arai Engineering Center, Ibaraki (Japan))

Abstract

This paper describes a creep-fatigue crack growth evaluation procedure applicable to the structural integrity assessment of primary coolant piping in a large scale liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor. Simplified creep-fatigue crack growth evaluation procedure is proposed. In the crack growth analysis of the FBR components, plastic and creep deformation must be taken into account. The procedure evaluates crack growth rates based on stress intensity factor database obtained by linear elastic fracture mechanics approach, accounting for plastic and creep deformation. The predictions obtained by the procedure, based on the reference stress approach, are compared to some experimental data. It is found that the predicted fatigue crack growth behaviour is in good agreement with the observations and that the procedure exhibits some conservatism in creep-fatigue crack growth evaluation. (author)

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key words: calculation methods; crack propagation; creep; fracture mechanics; lmfbr type reactors; pipes; plasticity; primary coolant circuits; stress analysis; thermal fatigue; breeder reactors; epithermal reactors; fast reactors; fbr type reactors; liquid metal cooled reactors;
Reference:
Proceedings of a technical meeting held in Kalpakkam, India 13-17 January 2003
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--1406, pp:73-85