• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

The integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is affected by the neutrons bombarding the vessel wall leading to embrittlement. This irradiation-induced embrittlement leads to reduction in the fracture toughness of RPV materials. This paper presents a comparative study of typical Optimized Power Reactor (OPR)1000 reactor pressure-temperature (P-T) limit curves using the pre-2006 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) editions used in the power plant and the current ASME edition of 2010. The current ASME Code utilizes critical reference stress intensity factor based on the lower bound of static, while the Pre-2006 ASME editions are based the critical reference stress intensity factor based on the lower bound of static, dynamic and crack arrest. Model-Based Systems Engineering approach was used to evaluate ASME Code Section XI Appendix G for generating the P-T limit curves. The results obtained from this analysis indicate decrease in conservatism in P-T limit curves constructed using the current 2017 ASME code, which can potentially increase operational flexibility and plant safety. Hence it is recommended to use ASME code edition after 2006 be used in all operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) to establish P-T limit curve.