Optimization of dissolved hydrogen concentration for mitigating corrosive conditions of pressurised water reactor primary coolant under irradiation, 2; Evaluation of electrochemical corrosion potential

Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Uchida, Shunsuke; Lister, D. H.*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(8), p.867 - 880, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2127955

One of the major subjects for evaluating the corrosive conditions in the PWR primary coolant was to determine the optimal hydrogen concentration for mitigating PWSCC without any adverse effects on major structural materials. As suitable procedures for evaluating the corrosive conditions in PWR primary coolant, a couple of procedures, i.e., water radiolysis and ECP analyses, were proposed. The previous article showed the radiolysis calculation in the PWR primary coolant, which was followed by an ECP study here. The ECP analysis, a couple of a mixed potential model and an oxide layer growth model, was developed originally for BWR conditions, which was extended to PWR conditions with adding Li (Na) and H effects on the anodic polarization curves. As a result of comparison of the calculated results with INCA in-pile-loop experiment data as well as other experimental data, it was confirmed that the ECPs calculated with the coupled analyses agreed with the measured within 100mV discrepancies.

Constraint effect on fracture behavior of underclad crack in reactor pressure vessel

Shimodaira, Masaki; Tobita, Toru; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Katsuyama, Jinya; Hanawa, Satoshi

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 144(1), p.011304_1 - 011304_7, 2022/02

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4051704

In the structural integrity assessment of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the fracture toughness (K) should be higher than the stress intensity factor at the crack tip of an under-clad crack (UCC), which is prescribed in JEAC4206-2016. However, differences in crack depth and existence of cladding between the postulated crack and fracture toughness test specimens would be affected to the plastic constraint state and K evaluation. In this study, we performed fracture toughness tests and finite element analyses (FEAs) to investigate the effect of cladding on K evaluation. FEA showed that the cladding decreased the plastic constraint in the UCC rather than the surface crack. Moreover, it was also found that the apparent K for the UCC was higher than that for the surface crack from tests and the local approach.

Constraint effect on fracture mechanics evaluation for an under-clad crack in a reactor pressure vessel steel

Shimodaira, Masaki; Tobita, Toru; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Katsuyama, Jinya; Hanawa, Satoshi

Proceedings of ASME 2020 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2020) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2020-21441

In JEAC 4206 which prescribes the methodology for assessing the structural integrity of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs), an under-clad crack (UCC) at the inner surface of RPV is postulated, and it is required that the fracture toughness of RPV steels is higher than stress intensity factor for at the crack tip during the pressurized thermal shock event. In the present study, to investigate the effect of cladding on the fracture toughness, we performed three-point bending fracture toughness tests and finite element analyses (FEAs) for an RPV steel containing an UCC or a surface crack, and the constraint effect for UCC was also discussed. As the result, we found that the fracture toughness for UCC was considerably higher than that for surface crack. On the other hand, the FEAs showed that the cladding decreased the constraint effect for UCC.

Study on irradiation hardening mechanism of RPV steel; Experiments for irradiation temperature control

Ha, Yoosung; Shimodaira, Masaki; Tobita, Toru; Hanawa, Satoshi; Yamasaki, Shota*; Uno, Sadanori*

2018-Nendo Ryoshi Kagaku Gijutsu Kenkyu Kaihatsu Kiko Shisetu Kyoyo Jisshi Hokokusho (Internet), 3 Pages, 2019/09

https://www.qst.go.jp/uploaded/attachment/14039.pdf

no abstracts in English

Influence of applied load on oxidation in the vicinity of crack tips of stainless steel under high temperature water

Kasahara, Shigeki; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi

Zairyo To Kankyo, 68(9), p.240 - 247, 2019/09

https://doi.org/10.3323/jcorr.68.240

In order to study environment assisted cracking mechanism of stainless steel under BWR primary coolant condition, effects of applied load on oxidation in the vicinity of crack tips of CT specimens were evaluated. Loaded CT specimens were immersed in an aqueous condition at 290C as a simulated BWR coolant condition, and microstructural observation on oxide near the tips of pre-cracks was carried out. Oxide inner layers, which consisted of fine grain magnetite containing Fe and Cr were formed, and oxide outer layers consisting of large grains of FeO were observed to cover the inner layers. FEM analysis of stress and strain in the loaded CT specimen suggests that both of dislocations due to localized plastic deformation and elastic strain could play important roles to accelerate inner oxide formation in the vicinity of the crack tip of the specimens.

Influence of Zn injection on PWSCC crack growth rates and oxide film properties of Alloy 600

Chimi, Yasuhiro; Sato, Kenji*; Kasahara, Shigeki; Umehara, Ryuji*; Hanawa, Satoshi

Proceedings of Contribution of Materials Investigations and Operating Experience to Light Water NPPs' Safety, Performance and Reliability (FONTEVRAUD-9) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2018/09

To investigate the influence of Zinc (Zn) injection on primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) growth behavior, crack growth tests of 10% cold-worked Alloy 600 were performed in simulated primary water environment of pressurized water reactor (PWR) at 320C with a low-concentration (5-10 ppb) Zn injection under dissolved hydrogen (DH) conditions of 5, 30, and 50 cc/kgHO. As a result of the crack growth tests, DH-dependence of crack growth rate (CGR) showed a similar tendency to the predicted CGR based on the CGR data without Zn injection, indicating almost no effect of a low-concentration Zn injection on the crack growth behavior. Moreover, the microstructural analyses of oxide films formed inside the crack and on the specimen surface were conducted, and the intake of Zn in the oxides was detected on the specimen surface, but not detected inside the crack. This result was considered to be the cause of no Zn injection effect on the crack growth behavior.

Confirmation tests for Warm Pre-stress (WPS) effect in reactor pressure vessel steel (Contract research)

Chimi, Yasuhiro; Iwata, Keiko; Tobita, Toru; Otsu, Takuyo; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Yoshimoto, Kentaro*; Murakami, Takeshi*; Hanawa, Satoshi; Nishiyama, Yutaka

JAEA-Research 2017-018, 122 Pages, 2018/03

JAEA-Research-2017-018.pdf:44.03MB

Warm pre-stress (WPS) effect is a phenomenon that after applying a load at a high temperature fracture does not occur in unloading during cooling, and then the fracture toughness in reloading at a lower temperature increases effectively. Engineering evaluation models to predict an apparent fracture toughness in reloading are established using experimental data with linear elasticity. However, there is a lack of data on the WPS effect for the effects of specimen size and surface crack in elastic-plastic regime. In this study, fracture toughness tests were performed after applying load-temperature histories which simulate pressurized thermal shock transients to confirm the WPS effect. The experimental results of an apparent fracture toughness tend to be lower than the predictive results using the engineering evaluation models in the case of a high degree of plastic deformation in preloading. Considering the plastic component of preloading can refine the engineering evaluation models.

An Empirical model for the corrosion of stainless steel in BWR primary coolant

Uchida, Shunsuke*; Hanawa, Satoshi; Naito, Masanori*; Okada, Hidetoshi*; Lister, D. H.*

Corrosion Engineering, Science and Technology, 52(8), p.587 - 595, 2017/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/1478422X.2017.1357960

Based on the relationship among ECP, metal surface conditions, exposure time and other environmental conditions, a model to evaluate the ECP and corrosion rate of steel was developed by coupling a static electrochemical analysis and a dynamic oxide layer growth analysis. Major conclusion obtained on the model are as follows. The effect of HO and O concentrations on ECP were successfully explained as the effects of oxide layer growth. Hysteresis of ECP under changes in water chemistry conditions were successfully explained with the model. Decreases in ECP due to neutron exposure were explained well by radiation-induced diffusion in the oxide layers.

A Modelling study on water radiolysis for primary coolant in PWR

Mukai, Satoru*; Umehara, Ryuji*; Hanawa, Satoshi; Kasahara, Shigeki; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Proceedings of 20th International Conference on Water Chemistry of Nuclear Reactor Systems (NPC 2016) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2016/10

In Japanese PWR, the concentration of dissolved hydrogen in the primary coolant is controlled in the range from 25 cc/kg-HO to 35 cc/kg-HO for suppression of water decomposition. However this concentration is desired to reduce for the purpose of radiation source reduction in Japan. So, the concentration due to water radiolysis in primary coolant was evaluated at lower hydrogen concentration by the water radiolysis model in consideration of ray, fast neutron and alpha ray due to the reaction B(n,)Li. The results of evaluation showed that the water radiolysis was suppressed even if the hydrogen concentration was decreased to 5 cc/kg-HO. The effects of the different G-value and the rate constants of major reaction on the concentration of HO and O were studied under hydrogen addition. We also focused on the effect of the alpha radiolysis in boron acid water.

Study of irradiation effect on ECP using in-pile loops in the JMTR

Hanawa, Satoshi; Uchida, Shunsuke; Hata, Kuniki; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Kasahara, Shigeki*; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Proceedings of 20th Nuclear Plant Chemistry International Conference (NPC 2016) (USB Flash Drive), 10 Pages, 2016/10

The authors proposed and ECP evaluation model introducing irradiation-induced diffusion in the oxide layer to simulate neutron irradiation effect, and predicted with this model that ECP is started to depress from the neutron flux of about ten to the fourteenth per square meter. As the JMTR has in-pile loops applicable to water chemistry experiments, degree of irradiation effect on ECP appears in the in-pile loop was estimated by the model. Under oxygen injected condition, ECP in a capsule becomes constant along the vertical direction due to the presence of high amount of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide in a capsule. However, if neutron irradiation depress ECP, ECP in a capsule along vertical direction wouldn't become constant, and the degree to the decrement is detectable by experiments.