Rapid heating rupture experiment using the high chromium steel tubes

Umeda, Ryota ; Kurihara, Akikazu ; Shimoyama, Kazuhito 

In case of tube failure of a steam generator in sodium-cooled fast reactors, the reaction jet with high temperature and high velocity under highly alkaline environment is formed by cited exothermic reaction (sodium-water reaction). When the high temperature reaction jet covers the adjacent tubes, the material strength of tube decreases in the high temperature condition, and the adjacent tube may be swollen and failed by inner pressure (overheating tube rupture). For evaluation of the overheating tube rupture, tube failure is judged by comparison the hoop stress loaded by inner pressure with stress strength standard defined as creep strength depending on tube temperature. Thus, it is important to confirm the validation of this failure criterion based on the findings obtained in the simulated experiment of overheating tube rupture. In this report, for consideration on the validation of the failure criteria and elucidation on the failure mode and strength characteristics of failure, the authors carried out the rapid heating rupture experiment for the thin single and double-walled 9Cr steel tubes at high temperature up to 1500 K by using TRUST-2 rig in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.