HTGR Knowledge Base

Conference Article: A review of irradiation creep in reactor graphite

Kelly, B.T. (AEA Technology, Salwick (United Kingdom))

Abstract

The construction of graphite moderated reactors with extended lives would be virtually impossible but for the existence of irradiation creep which relaxes stresses within components due to gradients of irradiation damage which would otherwise produce failure. A very large amount of experimental data exists on many types of graphite, but there are still important differences in the constitutive equations derived by different groups and applied to calculate brick stresses. This paper summarizes the results of a review of knowledge of irradiation creep recently carried out in the United Kingdom.

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key words: creep; failures; graphite moderated reactors; irradiation; physical radiation effects; reactor components; reviews; stresses; mechanical properties; radiation effects
Reference:
Specialists' meeting on the status of graphite development for gas cooled reactors. Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). 9-12 Sep 1991
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--690, pp:200-204