LES-WALE simulation on two liquid mixing in the horizontal legs and downcomer; The Open-test condition in the TAMU-CFD benchmark (IBE-5)

Abe, Satoshi; Okagaki, Yuria; Ishigaki, Masahiro; Shibamoto, Yasuteru

Proceedings of OECD/NEA Workshop on Virtual CFD4NRS-8; Computational Fluid Dynamics for Nuclear Reactor Safety (Internet), 11 Pages, 2020/11

Application of probabilistic fracture mechanics methodology for Japanese reactor pressure vessels using PASCAL4

Lu, K.; Katsuyama, Jinya; Li, Y.; Yoshimura, Shinobu*

Proceedings of 2019 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2019) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2019/07

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.

Derivation of simple evaluation method for thermal shock damage on accelerator materials caused by out-of-control beam pulses and its application to J-PARC

Takei, Hayanori; Kobayashi, Hitoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 42(12), p.1032 - 1039, 2005/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.42.1032

In high-intensity proton accelerator facilities, a failure of an electromagnet that steers beam pulses may result in thermal shock damage on the accelerator component by injecting an out-of-control pulse. It is important that a Machine Protection System (MPS) is appropriately designed to prevent this damage in the facilities such as Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). In this study, the simple evaluation method for the allowable injection time before the operation of the MPS was derived from the relation between the thermal stress and the yield stress of materials.The derived evaluation method was then applied to J-PARC. The allowable injection time for each component ranged from 0.1 to 70 s.

Failure probability analysis on mercury target vessel

Ishikura, Shuichi*; Shiga, Akio*; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Sato, Hiroshi; Haga, Katsuhiro; Ikeda, Yujiro

JAERI-Tech 2005-026, 65 Pages, 2005/03

JAERI-Tech-2005-026.pdf:2.86MB

Failure probability analysis was carried out to estimate the lifetime of the mercury target which will be installed into the JSNS (Japan spallation neutron source) in J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex). The lifetime was estimated as taking loading condition and materials degradation into account. Considered loads imposed on the target vessel were the static stresses due to thermal expansion and static pre-pressure on He-gas and mercury and the dynamic stresses due to the thermally shocked pressure waves generated repeatedly at 25 Hz. Materials used in target vessel will be degraded by the fatigue, neutron and proton irradiation, mercury immersion and pitting damages, etc. The imposed stresses were evaluated through static and dynamic structural analyses. The material-degradations were deduced based on published experimental data. As results, it was quantitatively confirmed that the failure probability for the lifetime expected in the design is very much lower, 10 in the safety hull, meaning that it will be hardly failed during the design lifetime. On the other hand, the beam window of mercury vessel suffered with high-pressure waves exhibits the failure probability of 12%. It was concluded, therefore, that the leaked mercury from the failed area at the beam window is adequately kept in the space between the safety hull and the mercury vessel to detect mercury-leakage sensors.

Importance of fracture criterion and crack tip material characterization in probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis of an RPV under a pressurized thermal shock

Shibata, Katsuyuki; Onizawa, Kunio; Li, Y.*; Kato, Daisuke*

International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, 81(9), p.749 - 756, 2004/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpvp.2004.05.003

The paper describes the procedure to evaluate the ductile crack extension, where an increase in fracture resistance by a ductile crack extension is considered. Two standard -resistance curves are prepared for applying the elasto-plastic fracture criterion. Case studies concerning the effect of elasto-plastic fracture criterion were carried out using a severe PTS transient. The introduction of the elasto-plastic fracture criterion significantly contributes to remove the over-conservatism in applying the linear elastic fracture criterion. It was also found that the algorithm of the re-evaluation of crack tip characterization also has a significant effect on the failure probability.

Effect of pre-hydriding on thermal shock resistance of Zircaloy-4 cladding under simulated loss-of-coolant accident conditions

Nagase, Fumihisa; Fuketa, Toyoshi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 41(7), p.723 - 730, 2004/07

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.41.723

Experiments simulating loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions were performed to evaluate effect of pre-hydriding on thermal-shock resistance of oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding. Artificially hydrided (400 to 600 ppm) and non-hydrided claddings were subjected to the tests. Since cladding fracture on quenching primarily depends on the oxidation amount, fracture threshold was evaluated in terms of "Equivalent Cladding Reacted (ECR)". Under axially non-restrained condition, the fracture threshold is 56% ECR and the influence of pre-hydriding is not seen. The fracture threshold is decreased by restraining the test rods on quenching, and it is more remarkable in pre-hydrided claddings than in non-hydrided claddings. Consequently, the fracture threshold was 20% ECR and 10% ECR for non-hydrided and pre-hydrided claddings, respectively, under the fully restrained condition. These results indicate possible decrease of fracture threshold of high burnup fuel claddings under LOCA conditions.

Structural integrity of heavy liquid-metal target installed in spallation neutron facility, 4; Consideration by fracture mechanics of target container window

Ishikura, Shuichi*; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Kikuchi, Kenji; Haga, Katsuhiro; Kaminaga, Masanori; Hino, Ryutaro

JAERI-Tech 2003-093, 55 Pages, 2004/01

JAERI-Tech-2003-093.pdf:5.41MB

To estimate the structural integrity of the heavy liquid-metal (Hg) target used in a MW-class neutron scattering facility, static and dynamic stress behaviors due to the incident of a 1MW-pulsed proton beam were analyzed. In the analyses, two-type target containers with semi-cylindrical type and flat type window were used as analytical models of the structural analysis codes LS-DYNA. As a result, it is confirmed that the stress generated by dynamic thermal shock becomes the largest at the center of window, and the flat type window is more advantageous from the structural viewpoint than the semi-cylindrical type window. It was confirmed to erosion damage the target container by mercury's becoming negative pressure in the window and generating the cavitation by the experiment. Therefore, it has been understood that the point top of the window was in the compression stress field by the steady state thermal stress because of the evaluation from destroying the dynamic viewpoint for the crack in the generated pit and the pit point, and the crack did not progress.

Bubble dynamics in the thermal shock problem of the liquid metal target

Ishikura, Shuichi*; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Kikuchi, Kenji; Hino, Ryutaro; Arakawa, Chuichi

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 318, p.113 - 121, 2003/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(03)00086-2

The thermal shock stress in the mercury target vessel was analyzed: the target receives the incident proton beam at the energy of 1 MW with the pulse duration of 1ms. Negative pressure of maximal 61MPa was generated when the initial pressure of 52MPa propagated in mercury. It is expected then that the cavitation may be arisen by the negative pressure. So in order to know the cavitation behavior, the simulation study was carried out by using the equation of motion based on the bubble dynamics for a single bubble, and fundamental parameter analysis was carried out. It is found that a bubble has a potential expansion more than 1000 times with a change of the pressure at the window of the target vessel. Consequently wave propagation will be affected. Theoretical consideration was given to the wave motion of propagation in bubbly liquid. The equation of state in bubbly liquid can be approximated by the polynomial. The diameter of a bubble and the bubble volume fraction inherent in mercury can be decided if the critical pressure, the sound velocity, and resonance frequency is successfully measured by static and dynamic experiment.

Examination of flaw acceptance standard in JSME fitness for service rule based on failure probability

Shibata, Katsuyuki; Onizawa, Kunio; Li, Y.*; Kanto, Yasuhiro*; Yoshimura, Shinobu*

Nihon Kikai Gakkai M&M 2003 Zairyo Rikigaku Bumon Koenkai Koen Rombunshu, No.03-11, p.939 - 940, 2003/00

no abstracts in English