Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Engineering critical assessment of RPV with nozzle corner cracks under pressurized thermal shocks

  • Li, Yuebing (State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Power Safety Monitoring Technology and Equipment, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd) ;
  • Jin, Ting (State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Power Safety Monitoring Technology and Equipment, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd) ;
  • Wang, Zihang (Institute of Process Equipment and Control Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology) ;
  • Wang, Dasheng (State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Power Safety Monitoring Technology and Equipment, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd)
  • Received : 2020.01.03
  • Accepted : 2020.04.19
  • Published : 2020.11.25
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Abstract

Nozzle corner cracks present at the intersection of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) and inlet or outlet nozzles have been a persistent problem for a number of years. The fracture analysis of such nozzle corner cracks is very important and critical for the efficient design and assessment of the structural integrity of RPVs. This paper aims to perform an engineering critical assessment of RPVs with nozzle corner cracks subjected to several transients accompanied by pressurized thermal shocks. The critical crack size of the RPV model with nozzle corner cracks under transient loading is evaluated on failure assessment curve. In particular, the influence of cladding on the crack initiation of nozzle corner crack under thermal transients is studied. The influence of primary internal pressure and secondary thermal stress on the stress field at nozzle corner and SIF at crack front is analyzed. Finally, the influence of different crack size and crack shape on the final critical crack size is analyzed.

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References

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