Effect of Loading Variables and Temperature on Fatigue Crack Propagation in SA508 Cl.3 Nuclear Pressure Vessel Steel

원자로압력용기강에서 하중변수와 온도가 피로균열진전에 미치는 영향

The effect of loading variables and temperature on fatigue crack growth rate in SA508 Cl.3 nuclear pressure vessel steel was investigated in air environment Crack growth rate tests on compact tension specimen of thickness 12mm were conducted by using sinusoidal waveform. The crack length was monitored by compliance method. Test conditions were at 0.1 and 0.5 of load ratio, at 1 and 10 Hz of loading frequency, and at room temperature to 40$0^{\circ}C$. At the lower temperatures, the fatigue crack propagation was not affected by the frequency and temperature, while at the higher temperatures above 12$0^{\circ}C$, fatigue crack growth rate increased with decreasing loading frequency and increasing temperature. This accelerated fatigue crack propagation was associated with the increase of oxidation rate at the ahead of crack tip. Fatigue crack growth rate increased with in-creasing the load ratio. The effect of load ratio was more significant at the lower temperature, while the dependence on load ratio decreased with increasing temperature. The sensitivity of load ratio to temperature can be explained by crack closure with the oxidation process.

SA508 Cl.3 원자로 압력용기강에서 하중변수와 온도가 공기 중에서 피로 균열성장률에 미치는 영향에 대하여 조사하였다. 피로 균열성장률 시험은 12.7mm 두께의 CT(compact tension) 시편을 이용하였으며, 균열길이 추정은 컴플라이언스 방법을 사용하였다. 시험은 0.1, 0.5 하중비와 1, 10Hz의 하중주파수로 상온에서 40$0^{\circ}C$ 까지 온도를 변화시키면서 수행하였다. 12$0^{\circ}C$ 이하의 비교적 낮은 온도에서는 피로균열전파속도는 하중주파수와 온도에 영향을 받지 않았지만, 12$0^{\circ}C$이상의 경우 피로 균열성장률은 온도가 높을수록, 하중주파수가 낮을수록 증가하였다. 이러한 피로균열진전속도의 빨라짐은 균열선단에서의 산화속도의 증가로 인한것으로 생각된다. 또한 하중비의 영향으로 균열닫힘과 산화의 상호작용으로 피로 균열성장률은 상온에서 두드러졌다.