• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.85-87
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• 2008

DMWs are common feature of the PWR in the welded connections between carbon steel and stainless steel piping. The nickel-based weld metal, Alloy 82/182, is used for welding the dissimilar metals and is known to be susceptible to PWSCC. A round-robin program has been implemented to benchmark the numerical simulation of the transient temperature and weld residual stresses in the DMWs. To solve the round-robin problem related to Pressurizer Safety & Relief nozzle, the thermal elasto-plastic analysis is performed in the DMW by using the FEM. The welding includes both the DMW of the nozzle to safe-end and the SMW of the safe-end and piping. Major results of the analyses are discussed: The axial and circumferential residual stresses are found to be -88MPa(225MPa) and -38MPa(293MPa) on the inner surface of the DMW; where the values in parenthesis are the residual stresses after the DMW. Thermo-mechanical interaction by the SMW has a significant effect on the residual stress fields in the DMW.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.88-93
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• 2008

Weld overlay is one of the residual stress mitigation method which arrest crack. An overlay weld sued in this manner is termed a preemptive weld overlay(PWOL). PWOL was good for distribution of residual stress of dissimilar metal weld(DMW) by previous research. Because range of overlay welding is wide relatively, residual stress distribution on PWR is affected by welding sequence. In order to examine the effect of welding sequence, PWOL was applied to a specific DMW of KORI nuclear power plant by finite element analysis method. As a result, the welding direction that from nozzle to pipe is better good for residual stress distribution on PWR.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2012

In early constructed nuclear power plants, Ni-based Alloys 82/182 had been widely used for dissimilar metal welds (DMW) as a weld filler metal. However, Alloys 82/182 have been proven to be susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in the nuclear primary water environment. The formation of crack due to PWSCC is also influenced by weld residual stresses. Thus, the accurate estimation of weld residual stresses of DMW is crucial to investigate the possibility of PWSCC and instability behaviors of crack due to PWSCC. In this context, the present paper investigates weld residual stresses of nuclear reactor piping nozzles based on 2-D axi-symmetric finite element analyses based on layer-based approach using maximum molten bead temperature. In particular, the effect of analysis parameters, i.e., a thickness of weld layer, an initial molten bead temperature, convection heat transfer coefficient, and geometric constraints on predicted weld residual stresses was investigated.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.38-40
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• 2005

Fracture mechanics evaluation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the dissimilar metal weld (DMW) for the nuclear piping system is performed; simulating the transition joint of the ferritic nozzle to austenitic safe-end fabricated with the Inconel Alloy A82/182 buttering and welds. Residual stresses in the DMW are computed by the finite element (FE) analyses Then, to investigate the SCC in the weld root under the combined residual and system operation stresses, the fracture mechanics parameters for a semi-elliptical surface crack are evaluated using the finite element alternating method (FEAM). As a result, it is found that the effect of weld residual stresses on the crack-driving forces is dominant, as high as three times or more than the operation stresses.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.34-41
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• 2010

This work is concerned with the analysis of stress corrosion cracking(SCC) behavior of Alloy 600 nozzle penetration mock-up according to a residual stress induced by a dissimilar metal welding(DMW) in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The effects of the dimension and materials of the nozzle penetration on the deformation and the residual stress induced by DMW were investigated using a finite element analysis(FEA). The inner diameter(ID) change of the nozzle by DMW and its dependance on the design variables, calculated by FEA, were well consistent with those measured from the mock-up. Accelerated SCC tests were performed for three mock-ups with different wall thicknesses in a highly acidic solution to investigate mainly the effect of the residual stress on the SCC behavior of Alloy 600 nozzle. From a destructive examination of the mock-up after the tests, the SCC behavior of the nozzle was fairly related with the residual stress induced by DMW : axial cracks were found in the ID surface of the nozzle within the J-weld region where the highest tensile hoop stress was predicted by FEA, while circumferential cracks were observed beyond both J-weld root and toe where the highest tensile axial stress was expected.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.100-100
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• 2009

This paper is concerned with numerical analyses of residual stresses in welds and material's susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) for the primary piping system in nuclear power plants: Both the dissimilar metal weld (DMW) for stainless steel to low alloy steel joints and the similar metal weld (SMW) for forged stainless steel to cast stainless steel joints are considered. Thermal elasto-plastic analyses using the finite element method (FEM) are performed to predict residual stresses generated in fabrication welding and its related processes for both the DMW and SMW, including effects of quenching for cast stainless steel piping, machining of the DMW root, and grinding of the SMW root. As a result, the effect of quenching should be included in the evaluation of residual stresses in the SMW for the cast stainless steel piping. It is deemed that residual stresses in both the DMW and SMW would not affect the SCC susceptibility of the welds providing that the welding processes are completed without any weld repair on the inside wall of the joint. However, the grinding process if performed on the safe-end to piping weld, would produce a high level of residual stresses in the inner surface region and thus a stress improvement process (e.g. buffing) should be considered to reduce susceptibilities to SCC.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2014

In this study, the metallurgical analysis and mechanical property measurement have been performed to investigate the effect of long-term thermal aging on the microstructural evolution in the fusion boundary region between weld metal and low alloy steel in dissimilar metal welds. A representative dissimilar weld mock-up made of Alloy 690-Alloy 152-A533 Gr. B was fabricated and aged at $450^{\circ}C$ for 2,750 hours. The microstructural characterization was conducted mainly near in a weld root region by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy. And the mechanical properties were measured with Vickers microhardness test and nanoindentation method. A steep gradient was shown in the chemical composition profile across the interface between A533 Gr. B and Alloy 152. Type-II boundaries were found in weld side of DMW and the hardness was the highest at the narrow zone between Type-II boundary and fusion boundary.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.979-984
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• 2015

In the present paper, we evaluate the effects of the safe-end length and thickness of the similar metal weld (SMW) of safety injection nozzles on stress distributions at the dissimilar metal weld (DMW). For this evaluation, we carry out detailed 2-D axisymmetric finite element analyses by considering four different values of the safe-end length and four different values of the thickness of SMW. Based on the results obtained, we found that the SMW thickness affects the axial stresses at the center of the DMW for the shorter safe-end length; on the other hand, it does not affect the hoop stresses. In terms of the safe-end length, the values of the axial and hoop stresses at the inner surface of the DMW center increase as the safe-end length increases. In particular, for the cases considered in the present study, the stress distributions at the DMW center can be categorized according to certain values of safe-end length.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1846-1857
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• 2021

Ultrasonic nondestructive testing is important for monitoring the structural integrity of dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) in pressure vessels and piping in nuclear power plants. However, there is a low probability of crack detection via inspection of DMWs using ultrasonic waves because the grain structures (grain orientations) of the weld area cause distortion and splitting of ultrasonic beams propagating in anisotropic media. To overcome this issue, the grain orientation should be known, and a precise ultrasonic wave simulation technique in anisotropic media is required to model the distortion and splitting of the waves accurately. In this study, a method for nondestructive prediction of the DMW grain orientations is presented for accurate simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation behavior in the weld area. The ultrasonic wave propagation behavior in anisotropic media is simulated via finite-element analysis when ultrasonic waves propagate in a transversely isotropic material. In addition, a methodology to predict the DMW grain orientation is proposed that employs a simulation technique for ultrasonic wave propagation behavior calculation and an optimization technique. The simulated ultrasonic wave behaviors with the grain orientations predicted via the proposed method demonstrate its usefulness. Moreover, the method can be used to determine the focal law in DMWs.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.256-263
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• 2009

After several PWSCCs were found in Bugey(France), Ringhals(Sweden), Tihange(Belgium), Oconee, Arkansas, Crystal Fever, Davis-Basse, VC Summer(U.S.A.), Thuruga(Japan), USNRC and PNNL started the research on PWSCC, that is, the PINC project. USNRC required KINS to participate in the PINC project in May 2005. KINS organized the Korean consortium at March 2006 and Pre-RRT for RVHP were performed for the preparation of PINC RRT. Through these preliminary RRT, Korea NDE teams can learn and develop the detection and sizing technique for RVHP dissimilar metal weld. These techniques are now being prepared in Korea and need to be utilized for the In-service inspection of the RVHP and BMI of Korea Nuclear Power Plants. PINC RRT mock-ups will be helpful to training.