Fatigue strength reduction factor of partial penetration weldments for ITER vacuum vessel

Nishi, Hiroshi; Eto, Motokuni; Tachibana, Katsumi; Nakahira, Masataka

Fatigue test of the weldments was performed to investigate their fatigue behavior and the effect of the incomplete penetrations on the fatigue strength. Fatigue crack propagation test of their weld metals was also carried out using CT specimen. By calculating stress intensity factors of the weldments contained the incomplete penetrations and cracks using FEM analysis, the fatigue crack propagation rates of weldments were evaluated and compared those of their weld metals. Fatigue life of the weldments was evaluated based on fracture mechanics to discuss the effect of incomplete penetrations on the fatigue strength. As the results, the incomplete penetration behaved as a crack and most of total fatigue life for the weldment was crack propagation life. The crack propagation rates of weldment were in accordance with those of the weld metals. The fatigue strength of the weldment was considerably lower than that of smoothed specimen. The incomplete penetrations affected greatly the fatigue strength of the weldments even if the depth of incomplete penetrations was small.