SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1983
STP31849S

Specific Problems of Reactor Pressure Vessels Related to Irradiation Effects

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The structural integrity of pressure vessels of light-water reactors is decisively controlled by the ductility of the vessel material. Layout and design principles as well as the chemical composition of the materials have been optimized for new plants as redundant measures to assure sufficient toughness during the whole lifetime history, an approach termed the Basis Safety Concept.

Adequate measures had to be taken to sustain the necessary safety margin in two older vessels that did not meet these advanced requirements. The necessary safety has been achieved by changing the core configuration to reduce the end-of-life fluence and thus limit the loss of toughness, and setting pressure and temperature limits on the heat-up and cool-down procedure to assure the load path, as well as by instituting an enhanced nondestructive evaluation program, especially on the joint weld of the belt line region, as a basis for fracture mechanics analysis.

Apart from surveillance and plant-specific irradiation programs, additional research and development programs are being performed to investigate irradiation damage by means of linear elastic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics.

Author Information

Kussmaul, K
Staatliche Materialprüfungsanstalt, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, West Germany
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Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 86–99
DOI: 10.1520/STP31849S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4885-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0263-7