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.

Evaluation of brittle crack arrest toughness for highly-irradiated reactor pressure vessel steels

Iwata, Keiko; Hata, Kuniki; Tobita, Toru; Hirota, Takatoshi*; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Proceedings of ASME 2021 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2021) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2021/07

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.

Susceptibility to neutron irradiation embrittlement of heat-affected zone of reactor pressure vessel steels

Takamizawa, Hisashi; Katsuyama, Jinya; Ha, Yoosung; Tobita, Toru; Nishiyama, Yutaka; Onizawa, Kunio

Proceedings of 2019 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2019) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2019-94011

no abstracts in English

Applicability of miniature compact tension specimens for fracture toughness evaluation of highly neutron irradiated reactor pressure vessel steels

Ha, Yoosung; Tobita, Toru; Otsu, Takuyo; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 140(5), p.051402_1 - 051402_6, 2018/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4040642

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.

Fracture toughness evaluation of neutron-irradiated reactor pressure vessel steel using miniature-C(T) specimens

Ha, Yoosung; Tobita, Toru; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Proceedings of 2017 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2017) (CD-ROM), 5 Pages, 2017/07

The applicability of miniature-C(T) (Mini-C(T)) specimens to fracture toughness evaluation was investigated for neutron-irradiated reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel. value determined from irradiated Mini-C(T) specimens was in good agreement with that determined from the irradiated pre-cracked Charpy-type (PCCv) specimens. Also, the scatter of the 1T-equivalent fracture toughness values obtained from the irradiated Mini-C(T) specimens was not significantly different from that obtained from the irradiated PCCv. values determined from Mini-C(T) specimens agreed very well with the correlation between Charpy 41J transition temperature and of commercially manufactured RPV steels.

Study on In-Vessel Retention (IVR) of unprotected accident for fast reactor, 2; Assessment of PAMR/PAHR phase in ULOF

Sogabe, Joji; Suzuki, Toru; Wada, Yusaku; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Nihon Kikai Gakkai Rombunshu (Internet), 83(848), p.16-00393_1 - 16-00393_10, 2017/04

https://doi.org/10.1299/transjsme.16-00393

The achievement of In-Vessel Retention (IVR) of the accident consequences in an unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), which is one of the technically inconceivable events postulated beyond design basis, is effective and rational approach in enhancing the safety characteristics of sodium-cooled fast reactor. The objective of the present study is to show that the decay heat generated from the relocated fuels would be stably removed in post-accident-material-relocation/post-accident-heat-removal (PAMR/PAHR) phase, where the relocated fuels mean fuel discharged from the core into the low-pressure plenum through control-rod guide tubes, and fuel remnant in the disrupted core region (non-discharged fuel). As a result of the present assessments, it should be concluded that the stable cooling of the relocated fuels was confirmed and the prospect of IVR was obtained.

In-vessel retention of unprotected accident in a fast reactor; Assessment of material-relocation and heat-removal behavior in ULOF

Sogabe, Joji; Suzuki, Toru; Wada, Yusaku; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Proceedings of 10th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS-10) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2016/11

An Empirical correlation to predict the distance for fragmentation of simulated Molten-Core materials discharged into a sodium pool

Matsuba, Kenichi; Isozaki, Mikio; Kamiyama, Kenji; Suzuki, Toru; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Proceedings of 11th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-11) (USB Flash Drive), 8 Pages, 2016/10

In order to evaluate the distance for fragmentation of molten core material discharged into the lower sodium plenum during core disruptive accidents in sodium-cooled fast reactors, experiments with simulated molten materials and coolants (water, sodium) was carried out, where an empirical correlation of the distance for fragmentation was developed. The empirical correlation developed by this study showed a good agreement with the measurement results obtained by the present experiments. It was found that in order to well-predict the distance for fragmentation in sodium, thermal phenomena, such as sodium boiling and resultant vapor expansion, needed to be considered.