• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.1042-1049
• /
• 1997

LMFBR(Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor) vessel is operated under the high temperatures of 500-550.deg. C. Thus, transient thermal loads were severe enough to cause inelastic deformation due to creep-fatigue and plasticity. For reduction of such inelastic deformations, Y-piece structure in the form of a thermal sleeve is used in LMFBR vessel under repeated start-up, service and shut-down conditions. Therefore, a systematic method for inelastic analysis is needed for design of the Y-piece structure subjected to such loading conditions. In the present investigation, finite element analysis of heat transfer and inelastic thermal stress were carried out for the Y-piece structure in LMFBR vessel under service conditions. For such analysis, ABAQUS program was employed based on the elasto-plastic and Chaboche viscoplastic constitutive equations. Based on numerical data obtained from the analysis, creep-fatigue damage estimation according to ASME Code Case N-47 was made and compared to each other. Finally, it was found out that the numerical predictio of damage level due to creep based on Chaboche unified viscoplastic constitutive equation was relatively better compared to elasto-plastic constitutive formulation.