Development of failure mitigation technologies for improving resilience of nuclear structures, 6; Resilience improvements of fast reactors by failure mitigation for excessive earthquake

Yamano, Hidemasa; Futagami, Satoshi; Ando, Masanori; Kurisaka, Kenichi

Transactions of the 27th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT 27) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2024/03

In this study, the dynamic structural analysis of the reactor vessel for excessive earthquake using the FINAS/STAR code has shown the elephant foot buckling deformation and calculated the cumulative fatigue failure fraction. Using the calculation results, this paper describes the fragility curve using the safety factor method, indicating the significantly improved curve compared the previous one.

Structural analysis of a reactor vessel in a sodium-cooled fast reactor under extremely high temperature conditions

Yamano, Hidemasa; Futagami, Satoshi; Ando, Masanori

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 10(4), p.23-00043_1 - 23-00043_12, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.23-00043

This study has conducted a detailed structural analysis of a reactor vessel (RV) in a loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor using a general-purpose finite element analysis code, FINAS/STAR, to understand its deformation behavior under extremely high temperature conditions and to identify the areas which should be focused to mitigate impacts of failure. The RV was heated from the normal operation condition to the sodium boiling temperature in the upper sodium plenum during 20 hours assuming depressurization. The analysis has revealed less significant stress and strain which were sufficiently lower than failure criteria. The upper body of RV was identified as the important area in terms of mitigation of structural failure. The RV was eventually deformed downward about 16 cm, resulting in no failure. This effect contributes to maintaining RV sodium level in a long term, thereby enhancing the RV resilience.

Structural analysis of a reactor vessel in a sodium-cooled fast reactor under extremely high temperature conditions

Yamano, Hidemasa; Futagami, Satoshi; Ando, Masanori

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2022/08

This study has conducted a detailed structural analysis of a reactor vessel (RV) in a loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor using a general-purpose finite element analysis code, FINAS/STAR, to understand its deformation behavior under extremely high temperature conditions and to identify the areas which should be focused to mitigate impacts of failure. The RV was heated from the normal operation condition to the sodium boiling temperature in the upper sodium plenum during 20 hours assuming depressurization. The analysis has revealed less significant stress and strain which were sufficiently lower than failure criteria. The upper body of RV was identified as the important area in terms of mitigation of structural failure. The RV was eventually deformed downward about 16 cm, resulting in no failure. This effect contributes to maintaining RV sodium level in a long term, thereby enhancing the RV resilience.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Morishita, Masaki*; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ando, Masanori; Ashida, Takashi; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Doda, Norihiro; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fukano, Yoshitaka; et al.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.3, 631 Pages, 2022/07

https://shop.elsevier.com/books/sodium-cooled-fast-reactors/morishita/978-0-12-824076-2

This book is a collection of the past experience of design, construction, and operation of two reactors, the latest knowledge and technology for SFR designs, and the future prospects of SFR development in Japan. It is intended to provide the perspective and the relevant knowledge to enable readers to become more familiar with SFR technology.

Assessment of failure life evaluation methods for structural discontinuities with fatigue and creep-fatigue tests on multiperforated plate made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel

Ando, Masanori; Hirose, Yuichi*; Takano, Masahito*

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 143(6), p.061505_1 - 061505_9, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4051398

This study compares and assesses the different fatigue and creep-fatigue life evaluation methods by performing tests of perforated plate made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel. Multi-perforated plate was subjected to mechanical cyclic loading at 550C, and crack initiation and propagation on the surfaces of the holes were observed. A series of finite element analyses were carried out to predict the number of cycles to failure by the several failure life evaluation methods, and these predictions were then compared with the test results. Several types of evaluation methods that use the elastic FEA were applied.

Development of the buckling evaluation method for large scale vessel by the testing of Gr.91 vessel subjected to horizontal and cyclic vertical loading

Okafuji, Takashi*; Miura, Kazuhiro*; Sago, Hiromi*; Murakami, Hisatomo*; Ando, Masanori; Miyazaki, Masashi

Proceedings of ASME 2021 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2021) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2021/07

Buckling evaluation methods capable of evaluating elasto-plastic buckling under axial compression, bending, and shear loads are required for cylindrical vessels of fast reactors to cope with thinning due to increasing diameter and application to the seismic isolation design against huge seismic ground motion. In this study, in order to confirm the applicability of the proposal evaluation method, several buckling tests and FE analyses were carried out using the specimens made of Modified 9Cr-1Mo steel. The buckling modes and strength data in the load region where the interaction of cyclic axial compression, bending and shear buckling could occur were examined. As a result, it was confirmed that the proposal evaluation method estimated the buckling load in the tests conservatively. Moreover, a series of finite element analyzes using a model with residual stress due to welding revealed that the effect of residual stress on buckling strength is negligible in the evaluation method.

Development of the external pressure charts of 2 Cr-1Mo and Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel at elevated temperature design

Ando, Masanori; Okajima, Satoshi; Imo, Kazumichi*

Proceedings of 2019 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2019) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2019/07

For the required thickness estimation against buckling in the elevated temperature design, the external pressure chart for two kinds of ferritic steel, 2 Cr-1Mo and Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel, was developed. On the basis of the guideline described in the ASME BPVC Section II, Part D, Mandatory Appendix 3 with mechanical and physical properties provided in the JSME fast reactor code, the external pressure charts for each material were constructed. As the result, three external pressure charts with digital values were proposed for elevated temperature design. And the rationalization effect from the current alternative using was evaluated by the sample problem. This proposal resolves the two issues. One is alternative use of inferior material strength chart over the 150C. The other is the external pressure chart above 480C for these ferritic steels are not available.

Application of JSME Seismic Code Case by elastic-plastic response analysis to practical piping system

Otani, Akihito*; Kai, Satoru*; Kaneko, Naoaki*; Watakabe, Tomoyoshi; Ando, Masanori; Tsukimori, Kazuyuki*

Proceedings of 2018 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2018), 10 Pages, 2018/07

This paper demonstrates an application result of the JSME Seismic Code Case to an actual complex piping system. The secondary coolant piping system of Japanese Fast Breeder Reactor, Monju, was selected as a representative of the complex piping systems. The elastic-plastic time history analysis for the piping system was performed and the piping system has been evaluated according to the JSME Seismic Code Case. The evaluation by the Code Case provides a reasonable result in terms of the piping fatigue evaluation that governs seismic integrity of piping systems.

Creep-fatigue evaluation method for weld joints of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel, 1; Proposal of the evaluation method based on finite element analysis and uniaxial testing

Ando, Masanori; Takaya, Shigeru

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 323, p.463 - 473, 2017/11

AA2016-0317.pdf:0.77MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.09.035

In the present study, a method for creep-fatigue life evaluation of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel weld joint was proposed based on finite element analysis (FEA). Since the point of the creep-fatigue life evaluation in the weld joint is a consideration of the metallurgical discontinuities, FEA was performed using a model with three material properties, a base metal (BM), weld metal (WM) and a heat-affected zone (HAZ) formed in the base metal due to the welding heat input, to consider the mutual relationships among them. The material properties of these three materials were collected and utilized in FEA for considering such metallurgical discontinuities. The creep-fatigue life estimated using the proposed evaluation method based on the FEA results were compared with available creep-fatigue test data, and the proposed method was found to predict the number of cycles to failure within a factor of 3.

Experimental study on behaviours of two-ply bellows subjected to pressure and displacement loads

Tsukimori, Kazuyuki; Ando, Masanori; Yada, Hiroki; Ichimiya, Masakazu*; Anoda, Yoshinari*; Arakawa, Manabu*

Transactions of the 24th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT-24) (USB Flash Drive), 10 Pages, 2017/08

The analytical treatment of Multi-ply bellows behaviours is difficult compared with that of single-ply bellows, since the uncertainty of friction between plies exists. In this study verification was conducted based on experiments by comparing between two-ply and single-ply bellows test results. Following results were obtained. The spring rate of two-ply bellows is approximately twice of that of single-ply bellows, even if internal pressure is loaded. Typical buckling behaviour of bellows, in-plane squirm, was observed in both cases of two-ply and single-ply bellows. The deformation patterns were similar with each other, but the pressure levels of two-ply bellows were approximately twice of those of single-ply bellows. These means the friction force can be ignored practically. As the conclusion, two-ply bellows analyses can be replaced by the analyses of single-ply bellows model with half pressure load and the effort of numerical analysis can be reduced.