REVISA: Reactor vessel integrity in severe accidents

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 96.0296

Key words (English)

Thermo-viscoplastic material models; size-effects; phase transformation; reactor pressure vessel steels (rpv)

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FI4S-CT96-0024

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 5.2 Nuclear fission safety

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
Labor für Sicherheit und Unfallforschung

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Cea Saclay, EDF, Framatome (F), FZK Karlsruhe, GRS Köln (D), JRC Ispra, Enea (I), ECN Petten (NL), VTT (FIN), Univ. Thessaloniki (EL)

Abstract (English)

WITH RESPECT TO SAFETY RESERCH THE MATERIAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL STEEL IS A KEY FACTOR. TO CALCULATE THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, RELIABLE DATA ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE TRANSFERENCE OF SMALL SCALE DATA TO COMPONENTS ARE OF IMPORTANCE.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MATERIAL SCATTER FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SIZE EFFECTS IS ESSENTIAL. FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW AN EXTENDED QUALITY ASSURANCE ON LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS HAD TO BE PERFORMED. THE RESULTS CLEARLY REVEALED A POSITION INFLUENCE WITHIN THE MATERIAL DELIVERED AS WELL OVER THE AREA OF THE PLATES AS WELL AS OVER THE THICKNESS.
THE TENSILE TESTS DELIVERED RESULTS, WHICH SHOW A SIZE EFFECT ONLY WITH RESPECT TO THE DAMAGE, I.E. BEHIND THE ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH. NOTCHED TENSILE SPECIMENS OF DIFFERENT SIZES REVEALED AN IMPRESSIVE SIZE EFFECT IN NECKING. ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TESTS (400°C) DELIVERED ALSO AN INFLUENCE OF THE TENSILE VELOCITY ON THE RESULTS.
CREEP TESTS REVEALED A VERY PRONOUNCED SIZE EFFECT, WHICH LED TO A PROLONGATION OF THE PROJECT. THE RESULTS CLEARLY SHOW THAT ESTIMATIONS OF THE CREEP BEHAVOIUR FOR COMPONENTS DELIVER NON CONSERVATIVE RESULTS.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 96.0296