Cleavage Crack Propagation and Arrest in a Nuclear Pressure Vessel Steel

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaury Bousquet ◽  
Stéphane Marie ◽  
Philippe Bompard
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Surface ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Strain Rate ◽  
Fracture Stress ◽  
Crack Path ◽  
Propagation Model ◽  
Cleavage Crack ◽  
Numerical Computations ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Crack Propagation And Arrest

The integrity assessment of Reactor Pressure Vessels, mainly based on crack initiation, can be completed by studying crack propagation and arrest. Whereas engineering approaches do not take into account dynamic effects, these effects are important in unstable cleavage crack propagation, arrest and possible propagation re-initiation events. This study deals with physical mechanisms of cleavage crack propagation and numerical computations related to brittle fracture in the framework of local approach to fracture. Experiments were carried out on thin CT 25 specimens made of 16MND5 PWR vessel steel at five temperatures (−150°C, −125°C, −100°C, −75°C, −50°C). Two kinds of crack path, straight or branching path, were observed. Branching cracks appear for the highest critical loadings at initiation, that increase the elastic stored energy and the effect of plasticity. The elastic-viscoplastic behavior of the ferritic steel was studied up to a strain rate of 104 s−1 and taken into account in the numerical simulations. The eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) was used in CAST3M FE software to model crack propagation. Numerical computations combine a local non linear dynamic approach with a RKR type fracture stress criterion. The different physical micro-mechanisms, involved in cleavage fracture, were examined by the means of SEM fracture surface analyses at different temperatures and strain rates for the two kinds of crack path. The links of the critical fracture stress with both temperature and strain rate for straight crack path as well as analyses of branching crack phenomena were considered by the means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) fracture surface analyses, 3D quantitative optical microscopy and FE computations in order to aim at a robust physical justification of the propagation model which has already been developed at CEA in the frame of the B. Prabel PhD.

Cleavage Crack Path Prediction in a PWR Vessel Steel

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Yang ◽  
Stéphane Marie ◽  
Clémentine Jacquemoud
Keyword(s):  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Crack Path ◽  
Cleavage Crack ◽  
Extended Finite Element ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Stress Criterion ◽  
Statistical Effect ◽  
Path Prediction ◽  
Crack Paths ◽  
Crack Path Prediction

Cleavage crack propagation has been tested for three different geometries of Compact Tensile (CT) specimens: CT25, CT50 and extended CT25 (CT25 with CT50 width) (Figure 3). The experimental results show that the crack paths are straight for CT25 and CT50, but they are unstable and curved for extended CT specimens (Figure 5 to 7). Numerical computation had been performed by extended finite element method (XFEM) in CAST3M software. 2D modeling was used in order to predict the crack path. The analysis was based on a local non-linear dynamic approach with a RKR fracture stress criterion depending on temperature and strain rate. In order to simulate the curvature of the cracks path, a statistical effect was introduced in the model to take into account the spatial distribution of cleavage initiators, which is the characteristic of cleavage fracture. At each step of propagation during the modeling, the direction was randomly chosen, according to a uniform defects distribution. The numerical results show a good agreement with experience. The different crack paths were curved in extended CT25, but remained almost straight in CT25 and CT50 specimens, despite of the instability introduced in the modeling in the propagation direction. These results show that the statistics of micro-defects can induce, jointly with the geometry of specimen, a large scatter of crack propagation paths.

Cleavage Dynamic Propagation Analysis in a Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Steel Using a High-Speed Camera

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaury Bousquet ◽  
Stéphane Marie ◽  
Philippe Bompard
Keyword(s):  
Crack Propagation ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Polished Surface ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Cleavage Crack ◽  
Experimental Protocol ◽  
Numerical Computations ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Thermal Chamber ◽  
Framing Camera

Initiation stage of cracks is considered as a key issue, but more and more component integrity analyses investigate the crack propagation and arrest possibility. This study deals with physical mechanisms of cleavage crack propagation and numerical computations related to brittle fracture. Dynamic effects, involved in unstable cleavage crack propagation, have to be taken into account to properly depict brittle crack propagation, arrest and possible propagation re-initiation events. Experiments were carried out on thin CT specimens made of 16MND5 PWR vessel steel at five temperatures (−150°C, −125°C, −100°C, −75°C, −50°C). In addition to standard crack gages, an innovative experimental technique has been used to determine crack propagation. By the means of developments on the experimental protocol (improvements of isolation and airtightness of the thermal chamber, optimization of the experimental protocol to eliminate ice in the thermal chamber and in order to have a good acquisition quality), use of a high-speed framing camera was made possible to measure crack propagation on a CT mirror polished surface. This optical device, combined with this optimized experimental process, has allowed the study of straight and branching crack paths with high accuracy. The framing camera (520 000 fps up to 1 100 000 fps) has allowed to have a very accurate estimation of crack speed even up to 1000 m.s−1 and also to detect some phases of crack branching during propagation and phases of arrest-re-initiation. Numerical computations, based on X-FEM and combining a local non linear dynamic approach with a RKR type fracture stress criterion, have been performed to depict experimental crack behavior. This paper describes this innovative experimentation and the interpretation by FE calculations and SEM observations associated with quantitative 3D optical microscopy.

Dynamic Crack Propagation and Arrest in PWR Pressure Vessel Steel: Interpretation of Experiment With the X-FEM Method

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Prabel ◽  
S. Marie ◽  
A. Combescure
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Strain Rate ◽  
Thermal Shock ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar ◽  
Dynamic Crack Propagation ◽  
Dynamic Crack ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Vessel Steel

In the frame of analysis of the pressure thermal shock in a PWR RVP and the associated R&D activities, some developments are performed at CEA on the dynamic brittle propagation and crack arrest. This paper presents a PhD work on the modeling of the dynamic brittle crack growth. For the analyses, an important experimental work is performed on different geometries using a French RPV ferritic steel: Compact Tension specimens with different thickness, isothermal rings under compression with different positions of the initial defect to study a mixed mode configuration, and a ring submitted to thermal shock. The first part of this paper details the test conditions and main results. To propose an accurate interpretation of the crack growth, a viscous-elastic-plastic dynamic model is used. The strain rate influence is taken into account based on Cowper-Symond’s law (characterization was made from Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar tests). To model the crack propagation in the Finite Element calculation, eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) is used. The implementation of these specific elements in the CEA F.E. software CAST3M is described in the second part of this paper. This numerical technique avoids re-meshing, because the crack progress is directly incorporated in the degrees of freedom of the elements crossed by the crack. The last part of this paper compares the F.E. predictions to the experimental measurements using different criteria. In particular, we focused on a RKR (Ritchie-Knott-Rice) like criterion using a critical principal stress in the front of the crack tip during the dynamic crack extension. Critical stress is found to depend on crack speed, or equivalently on strain rate. Good results are reported concerning predictive simulations.

Mixed Mode Brittle Crack Propagation Modelling in a PWR Vessel Steel

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Prabel ◽  
S. Marie ◽  
A. Combescure
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stress Field ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Mixed Mode ◽  
Crack Path ◽  
Crack Tip ◽  
Crack Speed ◽  
Brittle Crack ◽  
Crack Propagation And Arrest

R&D activities and some development are performed at CEA on the brittle crack propagation and arrest. Phenomena occurring after the initiation of a brittle crack are not yet well understood. Absence of model able to predict the rapid growth of a brittle crack motivates this study. Due to the rapid growth of the crack, inertial effects and dynamic fracture should be considered. Assumption of a linear elastic solid are often preferred, but when plasticity of the material become non negligible (which is the case in the vicinity of the transition zone), these models become more limited. That’s why the paper presented here deals with dynamic crack propagation in elastic-viscoplastic material and aims at proposing a model able to predict the brittle crack propagation and arrest. To this end, experimental work is carried out for different geometries made of french RPV ferritic steel. Compact Tension specimens with different thickness, isothermal rings under compression with different positions of the initial defect to study also a mixed mode configuration. The test conditions and mains results (crack initiation, crack velocity measurements, ...) are collected and presented in a first part of the paper. To model efficiently the crack propagation in the Finite Element calculation, the eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) implemented in the CEA F.E. software CAST3M is described in the second part of the paper. Thanks to this numerical technique, the crack path does not need to follow the element edges and the crack progress is directly incorporated in the degrees of freedom of the elements crossed by the crack. A two-steps methodology is presented in the third and fourth parts of this paper. The first step consider only the CT specimen, experimental crack speed evolution with time is imposed in numerical simulations. Energy terms and stress field at the crack tip are evaluated and discussed to build up a criterion. Then, the criterion identified on CT specimen is used in a second step as a predictive model to simulate crack propagation for each geometry studied (CT, ring in both mode I and mixed mode). In particular, crack propagation models based on the stress field evaluated at the crack tip and on a critical cleavage stress dependent on the strain rate, exhibit very good agreement with experimental data in term of crack speed, crack path and crack length at arrest. The mixed mode case is discussed in detail because to be pertinent, a model of brittle crack propagation should not only give the crack speed, but also its preferred direction of evolution.

scholarly journals Crossing grain boundaries in metals by slip bands, cleavage and fatigue cracks

2015 ◽  
Vol 373 (2038) ◽  
pp. 20140131 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Pineau
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Crack Path ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Large Angle ◽  
Cleavage Crack ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Bcc Metals ◽  
Slip Transfer

The size and the character (low and large angle, special boundaries, tilt and twist boundaries, twins) of the grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline materials influence their strength and their fracture toughness. Recent studies devoted to nanocrystalline (NC) materials have shown a deviation from the Hall–Petch law. Special GBs formed by Σ3 twins in face-centred cubic metals are also known to have a strong effect on the mechanical behaviour of these metals, in particular their work-hardening rate. Grain orientation influences also crack path, the fracture toughness of body-centred cubic (BCC) metals and the fatigue crack growth rate of microstructurally short cracks. This paper deals both with slip transfer at GBs and with the interactions between propagating cracks with GBs. In the analysis of slip transfer, the emphasis is placed on twin boundaries (TBs) for which the dislocation reactions during slip transfer are analysed theoretically, experimentally and using the results of atomic molecular simulations published in the literature. It is shown that in a number of situations this transfer leads to a normal motion of the TB owing to the displacement of partial dislocations along the TB. This motion can generate a de-twinning effect observed in particular in NC metals. Crack propagation across GBs is also considered. It is shown that cleavage crack path behaviour in BCC metals is largely dependent on the twist component of the GBs. A mechanism for the propagation of these twisted cracks involving a segmentation of the crack front and the existence of intergranular parts is discussed and verified for a pressure vessel steel. A similar segmentation seems to occur for short fatigue cracks although, quite surprisingly, this crossing mechanism for fatigue cracks does not seem to have been examined in very much detail in the literature. Metallurgical methods used to improve the strength of the materials, via grain boundaries, are briefly discussed.

Prediction of cleavage crack propagation path in a nuclear pressure vessel steel

2018 ◽  
Vol 191 ◽  
pp. 486-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Yang ◽  
Stéphane Marie ◽  
Clémentine Jacquemoud ◽  
Philippe Bompard
Keyword(s):  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Propagation Path ◽  
Cleavage Crack ◽  
Pressure Vessel Steel ◽  
Vessel Steel ◽  
Crack Propagation Path
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