Evaluation of Fracture Toughness by Master Curve Approach Using Miniature C(T) Specimens

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Naoki Soneda
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Test Temperature ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Astm Standard ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Miniature Specimens

The fracture toughness master curve shows the relationship between the median of fracture toughness and temperature in the ductile–brittle transition temperature region of ferritic steels such as reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. The master curve approach specified in the ASTM standard theoretically provides the confidence levels of fracture toughness in consideration with the inherent scatter of fracture toughness. The authors have conducted several fracture toughness tests for typical Japanese RPV steels with various specimen sizes and shapes and ascertained that the master curve can be accurately applied to the specimens with a thickness of 0.4-in. or larger. With respect to using the master curve method with the current surveillance program for operating RPVs, the utilization of miniature specimens is important. Miniature specimens, which can be taken from the broken halves of surveillance specimens, are necessary for the efficient determination of the master curve from the limited volume of the available materials. In this study, fracture toughness tests were conducted for typical Japanese RPV steels, particularly SFVQ1A forged and SQV2A plate materials, using the miniature C(T) specimens with a thickness of 4 mm, following the procedure in the ASTM standard. The results show that the differences in the test temperature, evaluation method, and specimen size did not affect the master curves, and the fracture toughness indexed by the reference temperature, To, obtained from miniature C(T) specimens were consistent with those obtained from the standard and larger C(T) specimens. It was also found that valid reference temperatures can be determined with a realistic number of miniature C(T) specimens, i.e., less than ten, if the test temperature was appropriately selected. Thus, the master curve method using miniature C(T) specimens could be a practical method to determine the fracture toughness of actual RPV steels.

Evaluation of Fracture Toughness by Master Curve Approach Using Miniature C(T) Specimens

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Naoki Soneda
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Test Temperature ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Reference Temperature ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Astm Standard ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method

The fracture toughness Master Curve gives a universal relationship between the median of fracture toughness and temperature in the ductile-brittle transition temperature region of ferritic steels such as reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. The Master Curve approach specified in the ASTM standard theoretically provides the confidence levels of fracture toughness in consideration of the inherent scatter of fracture toughness. The authors have conducted a series of fracture toughness tests for typical Japanese RPV steels with various specimen sizes and shapes, and ascertained that the Master Curve can be well applied to the specimens with the thickness of 0.4-inches or larger. Considering the possible application of the Master Curve method coexistent with the present surveillance program for operating RPVs, the utilization of miniature specimens which can be taken from broken halves of surveillance specimens is quite important for the efficient determination of the Master Curve from the limited volume of the materials of concern. In this study, fracture toughness tests were conducted for typical Japanese RPV steels, SFVQ1A forging and SQV2A plate materials, using the miniature C(T) specimens with the thickness of 4 mm following the procedure of the ASTM standard. The results showed that the differences in test temperature, evaluation method, and specimen size did not affect the Master Curves, and the fracture toughness indexed by the reference temperature, T0, obtained from miniature C(T) specimens were consistent with those obtained from standard and larger C(T) specimens. It was also found that valid reference temperature can be determined with the realistic number of miniature C(T) specimens, less than ten, if the test temperature was appropriately selected. Thus, the Master Curve method using miniature C(T) specimens could be a practical method to determine the fracture toughness of actual RPV steels.

Fracture Toughness Estimation of Miniature Specimens by Considering Geometry Effects

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin-Beom Choi ◽  
Young-Jin Kim ◽  
Yoon-Suk Chang
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Equivalent Stress ◽  
Scale Factor ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Geometry Effects ◽  
Miniature Specimens

Since small-sized specimens are widely used for fracture toughness tests to assure safety of a reactor pressure vessel in service, as a part of surveillance program, various geometry parameters affecting on the stress level near the crack-tip should be investigated for realistic assessment of cleavage fracture behavior. The aim of the present paper is to improve the current master curve method for typical miniature specimens, especially pre-cracked Charpy V-notched (PCVN) specimens. In this context, effects of thickness and side-grooves were quantified from comparing finite element (FE) analyses results in use of various PCVN specimens with and without side-grooves. Then, a scale factor to deal with geometry effects was suggested by employing the fracture toughness diagram, which was derived from FE analyses data of compact tension specimens and PCVN specimens. The scale factor was applied to calculate equivalent stress intensity factors influencing on the reference temperature embodied in the master curve method. The approach proposed in this paper will be useful to estimate fracture toughness of PCVN specimen made of SA508 carbon steel.

Applicability of Master Curve Method to Japanese Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Naoki Soneda ◽  
Taku Arai ◽  
Kenji Dohi
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Test Temperature ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Loading Rate ◽  
Specimen Size ◽  
Master Curves ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Reactor Pressure

The Master Curve method has been proposed and recognized worldwide as an alternative approach to evaluate fracture toughness of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels in brittle-to-ductile transition temperature range. This method theoretically provides the confidence levels of fracture toughness in consideration of the statistical distribution, which is an inherent property of fracture toughness. In this study, a series of fracture toughness tests was conducted for typical Japanese RPV steels, SFVQ1A and SQV2A, to identify the effects of test temperature, specimen size, and loading rate, and the applicability of the Master Curve method was experimentally validated. The differences in test temperature and specimen size did not affect master curves. In contrast, increasing loading rate significantly shifted master curves to higher temperatures. The lower bound curve based on the master curve could conservatively envelop all of the experimental fracture toughness data. The present rule, in which the lower limit of fracture toughness is indirectly determined by Charpy impact test results, can be too conservative, while the application of the Master Curve method may significantly reduce the conservativity of the allowable level of fracture toughness.

Prediction of Fracture Toughness for WWER RPV Integrity Assessment on the Basis of the Unified Curve Approach and Surveillance Specimens Testing

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Margolin ◽  
Victoria Shvetsova ◽  
Alexander Gulenko ◽  
Valentin Fomenko
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Temperature Shift ◽  
Curve Shape ◽  
Integrity Assessment ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Unified Curve ◽  
Surveillance Specimens

For construction of the fracture toughness temperature curve that may be used for WWER RPV integrity assessment on the basis of tests of cracked surveillance specimens, the issues have to be solved as follows. First of all, it is important to determine how fracture toughness varies as a function of temperature, and how the fracture toughness vs. temperature dependence, KJC(T), changes with in-service material degradation due to neutron irradiation. These variations of KJC(T) curve are known to be the shift of KJC(T) curve to higher temperature range and change in the KJC(T) curve shape. At present, two advanced engineering methods are known that allow the prediction of KJC(T) curve on the basis of small-size fracture toughness specimens (for example, pre-cracked Charpy specimens), namely, the Master Curve and the Unified Curve methods. Procedures of test result treatment for the Master Curve and the Unified Curve are very similar. The Master Curve method uses the lateral temperature shift condition and, therefore, does not describe possible change in the KJC(T) curve shape. The Unified Curve method has an advantage as compared with the Master Curve as the Unified Curve describes a variation of the KJC(T) curve shape when degree of embrittlement increases. This advantage becomes important for RPV integrity assessment when the reference KJC(T) curve is recalculated to the crack front length of the postulated flaw that is considerable larger than thickness of surveillance specimens. Application of the KJC(T) curve determined from test results of cracked surveillance specimens to RPV integrity assessment requires also to introduce some margins. These margins have to take into account the type and number of tested specimens and the uncertainty connected with spatial non-homogeneity of RPV materials. Indeed, there is sufficient number of experimental data showing variability in fracture toughness for various parts of RPV. Therefore, situation is possible when the material properties near the postulated flaw will be worse than the properties of surveillance specimens. In the present report, advanced approaches are considered for prediction of fracture toughness for WWER RPV integrity assessment that allow one: • to construct the KJC(T) curve for irradiated RPV steels with any degree of embrittlement; • to provide transferability of fracture toughness data from cracked surveillance specimens to calculation of resistance to brittle fracture of RPV with a postulated flaw.

Fracture Toughness Transferability Study Between the Master Curve Method and a Pressure Vessel Nozzle Using Local Approach

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anssi Laukkanen ◽  
Pekka Nevasmaa ◽  
Heikki Keina¨nen ◽  
Kim Wallin
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Reference Temperature ◽  
Cleavage Crack ◽  
Local Approach ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Constitutive Parameters

Local approach methods are to greater extent used in structural integrity evaluation, in particular with respect to initiation of an unstable cleavage crack. However, local approach methods have had a tendency to be considered as methodologies with ‘qualitative’ potential, rather than quantitative usage in realistic analyses where lengthy and in some cases ambiguous calibration of local approach parameters is not feasible. As such, studies need to be conducted to illustrate the usability of local approach methods in structural integrity analyses and improve upon the transferability of their intrinsic, material like, constitutive parameters. Improvements of this kind can be attained by constructing improved models utilizing state of the art numerical simulation methods and presenting consistent calibration methodologies for the constitutive parameters. The current study investigates the performance of a modified Beremin model by comparing integrity evaluation results of the local approach model to those attained by using the constraint corrected Master Curve methodology. Current investigation applies the Master Curve method in conjunction with the T-stress correction of the reference temperature and a modified Beremin model to an assessment of a three-dimensional pressure vessel nozzle in a spherical vessel end. The material information for the study is extracted from the ‘Euro-Curve’ ductile to brittle transition region fracture toughness round robin test program. The experimental results are used to determine the Master Curve reference temperature and calibrate local approach parameters. The values are then used to determine the cumulative failure probability of cleavage crack initiation in the model structure. The results illustrate that the Master Curve results with the constraint correction are to some extent more conservative than the results attained using local approach. The used methodologies support each other and indicate that with the applied local approach and Master Curve procedures reliable estimates of structural integrity can be attained for complex material behavior and structural geometries.

Influence of Microstructural Variation in Thick Section Steels on the Characterisation of Fracture Toughness Using Sub-Size Specimens

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Moore ◽  
Borislava Yordanova ◽  
Yong Lu ◽  
Yin Jin Janin
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Plate Thickness ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Steel Plates ◽  
Full Thickness ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Thick Material

Abstract The challenges of performing full-thickness fracture toughness tests on steel plates of 100mm thickness and greater means that the use of sub-size specimens is desirable. In this work, 100mm thick parent plate of S690 high strength steel was characterised using SENB fracture toughness specimens with thickness of 12mm, 25mm, 50mm and 100mm. Sub-size specimens were extracted at two different locations through the plate thickness; mid-wall and quarter wall. Sufficient specimens were tested to apply the Master Curve method in ASTM E1921 to predict the behaviour of 100mm thick material from each set of sub-size specimens. The through-thickness microstructural variation in these heavy-wall steel plates meant that significantly different predictions of full-thickness fracture toughness were obtained from the two sampling locations. However, when sampled from the mid-wall location, sub-size specimens down to 25mm thick were able to conservatively predict full-thickness fracture toughness using Master Curve methods.

Adjustments to Master Curve Methodology and Development of Fracture Toughness Estimation

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Kulka
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Structural Components ◽  
Fracture Test ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Curve Method ◽  
Constraint Effects

In conventional fracture mechanics assessments, there is often an inadequate treatment of in-plane constraint effects on the apparent toughness of structural components, leading to significant conservatism. Modifications to the Master Curve method, to account for these effects, have previously been suggested. A study of these proposed modifications has identified that less conservative toughness estimates could be made from the analysis of fracture mechanics test specimens. An approach has been developed for allowing a comparison of a variation of fracture toughness values throughout a component, to a variation of the localised effective driving force. Cracked-body finite element analysis has been used to assess fracture test specimens with varying levels of in-plane constraint, to provide fracture mechanics data for use with the approach that has been developed.

Investigation of Mechanical Properties and Ductile-Brittle Transition Behaviors of SA738Gr.B Steel Used as Reactor Containment

2019 ◽  
Vol 795 ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
Ya Lin Zhang ◽  
Hu Hui
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Steel Plate ◽  
Reference Temperature ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Brittle Transition ◽  
Containment Vessel ◽  
Master Curve Method ◽  
Nuclear Containment ◽  
Curve Method

The low temperature tensile properties, Charpy-V notch impact performance and fracture toughness of SA738Gr.B steel plate for domestic CAP1400 containment vessel were tested. On this basis, the reference temperature T0 of the master curve method was obtained. The fracture toughness distribution of the steel in the whole ductile-brittle transition zone is predicted and its applicability is verified by the theoretical basis of the master curve method. The results show that the reference temperature of SA738Gr.B steel master curve method is-123.6 °C. The master curve method is appropriate for SA738Gr.B steel with domestic nuclear containment vessel.

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