Verification methodology and results of probabilistic fracture mechanics code PASCAL

確率論的破壊力学コードPASCALの検証の方法と結果

眞崎 浩一; 宮本 裕平*; 小坂部 和也*; 宇野 隼平*; 勝山 仁哉  ; Li, Y. 

Masaki, Koichi; Miyamoto, Yuhei*; Osakabe, Kazuya*; Uno, Shumpei*; Katsuyama, Jinya; Li, Y.

国内の原子炉圧力容器を対象とした加圧熱衝撃事象時の破損頻度評価を行うため、確率論的破壊力学(PFM)解析コードPASCALが整備されている。一般的に、PFM解析コードは試験との比較等を通じた機能確認を行うことができないことから、その信頼性確認は困難である。本論文では、PFM解析コードの信頼性確認に係る方法を示すとともに、解析コードに含まれた確率変数、アルゴリズムや解析機能に関する検証を実施し、解析コードの有効性を明らかにした。

A probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis code PASCAL has been developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). PASCAL can evaluate failure frequencies of Japanese reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) during pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events based on domestic structural integrity assessment models and data of influence factors. In order to improve the engineering applicability of PFM to Japanese RPVs, we have performed verification of the PASCAL. In general, PFM code consists of many functions such as fracture mechanics evaluation functions, probabilistic evaluation functions including random variables sampling modules and probabilistic evaluation models, and so on. The verification of PFM code is basically difficult because it is impossible to confirm such functions through the comparison with experiments. When a PFM code is applied for evaluating failure frequencies of RPVs, verification methodology of the code should be clarified and it is important that verification results including the region and process of the verification of the code are indicated. In this paper, our activities of verification for PASCAL are presented. We firstly represent the overview and methodology of verification of PFM code, and then, some verification examples are provided. Through the verification activities, the applicability of PASCAL in structural integrity assessments for Japanese RPVs was confirmed with great confidence.