• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.1732-1741
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• 2020

The structural integrity of welded joints in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is directly related to the safety of nuclear power plants. The RPV is made from SA508-III steel in a pressurized water reactor. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature on the tensile and fracture toughness properties of Chinese SA508-III welded joint in different sampling areas in order to provide reference data for structural integrity assessments of RPVs. The specimens used in tensile and fracture toughness tests were fabricated from the base metal (BM), weld metal (WM), and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in the welded joint. The representative testing temperatures included the ambient temperature (20 ℃), upper shelf temperature (100 ℃), and service temperature (320 ℃). The results showed that temperature greatly affected the fracture toughness (JIC) values for the SA508-III welded joint. The JIC values for BM and HAZ both decreased remarkably from 20 ℃ to 320 ℃. The fracture morphologies showed that the BM and HAZ in the welded joint exhibited fully ductile fracture at 20 ℃, whereas partial cleavage fracture was mixed in ductile fracture mode at 100 ℃ and 320 ℃. The WM exhibited the ductile and cleavage fracture mixed mode at various temperatures, and the JIC values showed slight changes.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.69-74
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• 2010

Irradiation behavior of the reactor pressure vessel SA508 class 3 steel weld metals was examined by Charpy V Notch impact specimens. The specimens were exposed to a fluence of $2.8{\times}1019$ neutrons(n)/$cm^2$(E>1 MeV) at $288^{\circ}C$. The irradiation damage of weld metal was evaluated by comparison between unirradiated and irradiated specimens in terms of absorbed energy and lateral expansion. The specimens for neutron irradiation were welded by submerged arc welding process at a heat input of 3.2 kJ/mm which showed good toughness in terms of weld microstructure, absorbed energy and lateral expansion. The post-irradiation Charpy V notch 41J and 68J transition temperature elevation were $65^{\circ}C$ and $70^{\circ}C$, respectively. This elevation was accompanied by a 20% reduction in Charpy V notch upper shelf energy level. The lateral expansion at 0.9mm irradiated Charpy specimens showed temperature elevation of $65^{\circ}C$ and was greatly decreased due to radiation damage.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.825-832
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• 1995

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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.320-325
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• 2001

In this study, CT specimen were prepared from Pressure Vessel Steel which was used for pressure vessel plates for room and low temperature service. And we got the following characteristics from fatigue crack growth test carried out in the environment of room and low temperature at $25^{\circ}C$, -3$0^{\circ}C$, -6$0^{\circ}C$, -8$0^{\circ}C$, -10$0^{\circ}C$ and -12$0^{\circ}C$ and in the range of stress ratio of 0.05 and 0.3 by means of opening mode displacement. At the constant street ratio, the threshold stress intensity factor range ΔK$_{th}$ in the early stage of fatigue crack growth(Region I) and stress intensity factor range ΔK in the stable of fatigue crack growth(Region II) was increased in proportion to descend temperature. It assumed that the fatigue resistance characteristics and fracture strength at low temperature is considerable higher than that of room temperature in the early stage and stable of fatigue crack growth region. The straight line slope relation of logarithm do/dN -ΔK in RegionII, that is, the fatigue crack growth exponent m increased with descending temperature at the constant stress ratio. It was assumed that the fatigue crack growth rate do/dN is rapid in proportion to descending temperature in Region IIand the cryogenic-brittleness greatly affect a material with decreasing temperature.e.greatly affect a material with decreasing temperature.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.533-541
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• 2009

Materials used for a reactor pressure vessel(RPV) are required high strength and toughness, which determine the safety margin and life of a reactor. Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steel shows better mechanical properties than existing RPV steels due to higher Ni and Cr contents compared to the existing RPV steels. The present study focuses on effects of Ni, Cr contents on the cleavage fracture toughness of Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steels in the transition temperature region. The fracture toughness was characterized by a 3-point bend test of precracked Charpy V-notch(PCVN) specimens based on ASTM E1921-08. The test results indicated that the fracture toughness was considerably improved with an increase of Ni and Cr contents. Especially, control of Cr content was more effective in improving fracture toughness than manipulating Ni content, though Charpy impact toughness was changed more extensively by adjusting Ni content. These differences between changes in the fracture toughness and that in the impact toughness were derived from microstructural features, such as martensite lath size and carbide precipitation behavior.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.525-536
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• 2018

This paper focuses on the application of the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) to thermo-elastic static problems of functionally graded carbon nanotubes reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) cylindrical pressure vessels. A symmetric displacement field is considered as unknown function along the longitudinal direction, whereas a linear distribution is assumed along the thickness direction. The cylindrical pressure vessels are subjected to an inner and outer pressure under a temperature increase. Different patterns of reinforcement are applied as distribution of CNTs. The effective material properties of FG-CNTRC cylindrical pressure vessels are measured based on the rule of mixture, whereas the governing equations of the problem are here derived through the principle of virtual works. A large parametric investigation studies the effect of some significant parameters, such as the pattern and volume fraction of CNTs, on the longitudinal distribution of deformation, strain and stress components, as useful tool for practical engineering applications.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.132-141
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• 1995

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the statistical characteristics of m and C in the fatigue crack propagation law, da/dN=C(.DELTA.K)/sup m/ and to studies on the randomness of fatigue crack propagation and retardation behavior. Fatigue tests were perfomed on 32 CT specimens of SPV50 steel under the same one condition. First, the value of m and C were determined for each specimen, and all the data were analyzed statistically. second, the material's resistance to fatigue crack propagation is modeled as a stchastic process, which varies randomly along the crack path. The statistical analysis of the material resistance is performed with the data obtained by constant load controlled tests. Finally, retardation behavior was examined experimentally by using a CT specimen, and a retardation parameters were analyzed statistically.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.547-550
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• 2000

The steel pipe for fluid catalytic cracking(FCC) unit. petroleum refinery, is lined with refractory to protect the system from high-temperature of the internal flow. The property of the refractory has an effect upon the stress analysis of FCC unit. Because 1-D pipe element or 3-D shell element are usually used in commercial codes of stress analysis to evaluate the structural soundness, the equivalent elastic modulus considering steel and refractory should be applied. In the research, the theoretical method to obtain the value of the equivalent property is introduced and then the stress analysis is carried out with the part of FCC unit.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.132-137
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• 2008

A failure analysis of ammonia converter which suffered hydrogen attack in two years since its initial operating time was presented. It is constructed from 2.25 Cr.1 Mo steel. Analysis showed that the failure on closing seam weld joint was due to local improper post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Improper PWHT can introduce high residual stresses in thick-walled pressure vessel. High residual stress level in weld joint is very prone to hydrogen attack for any components which are operating in hydrogen gas environment. The repair procedures based on the principle to decrease the residual stress then proposed. The repair was controlled very carefully by applying several nondestructive tests in the each stage of repair. To assure the successful of the proposed repair, after one year since repair time, high temperature ultrasonic and TOFD methods were applied on-stream to this equipment in order to evaluate its post repair condition. The two methods showed good results on the repaired area.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.364-376
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• 1998

The statistical analysis method was applied to the evaluation of fracture toughness in the ductile-brittle transition temperature region. Because cleavage fracture in steel is of a statistical nature, fracture toughness data or values show a similar statistical trend. Using the three-parameter Weibull distribution, a fracture toughness vs. temperature curve (K-curve) was directly generated from a set of fracture toughness data at a selected temperature. Charpy V-notch impact energy was also used to obtain the K-curve by a $K_{IC}$ -CVN (Charpy V-notch energy) correlation. Furthermore, this method was applied to evaluate the neutron irradiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel. Most of the fracture toughness data were within the 95% confidence limits. The prediction of a transition temperature shift by statistical analysis was compared with that from the experimental data.