Advances in Environmental Fatigue Evaluation for Light Water Reactor Components

2009 ◽  
pp. 282-282-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Kishida ◽  
T Umakoshi ◽  
Y Asada
Keyword(s):  
Light Water Reactor ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Water Reactor ◽  
Fatigue Evaluation

Evaluation of Fatigue Life of Pressurized Water Reactor Internals Considering Light-Water Reactor Coolant Environmental Effect for Aging Management Program

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Yang ◽  
Paul O’Brien
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Light Water Reactor ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Water Reactor ◽  
Reactor Coolant ◽  
Plant Life ◽  
Fatigue Evaluation ◽  
Reactor Internals

Most of the current operating nuclear power plants in the United States were designed using the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, for fatigue design curves. These design curves were developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were often referred to as “air curves” because they were based on tests conducted in laboratory air environments at ambient temperatures. In recent years, laboratory fatigue test data showed that the light-water reactor environment could have significant impact on the fatigue life of carbon and low-alloy steels, austenitic stainless steel, and nickel-chromium-iron (Ni-Cr-Fe) alloys. United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Regulatory Guide 1.207 provides a guideline for evaluating fatigue analyses incorporating the life reduction of metal components due to the effects of the light-water reactor environment for new reactors. It recommend following the method developed in NUREG/CR-6909 [3] when designing reactor coolant pressure boundary components. The industry has invested a lot of effort in developing methods and rules for applying environmental fatigue evaluations for ASME Class 1 components and piping. However, the industry experience in applying the environmental fatigue evaluation for reactor core support structures and internal structures has been very limited. During the recent aging management programs, reactor internal component environmental fatigue evaluations for several pressurized water reactors were evaluated. The analyses calculated the cumulative fatigue usage using the recorded plant-specific transient cycles and the projected cycles for 60 years of plant life. The study concludes that the actual fatigue usages of the components are substantially lower than the specified original design conditions. Even assuming the most severe light-water reactor coolant environmental effects, fatigue will not be a concern for 60 years of plant life. The experiences with environmental fatigue evaluation for reactor internals are still very limited. This study shall provide the industry with beneficial information to develop the approaches and rules addressing the environmental effect on the fatigue life of reactor internals.

Results of reliability test program on light water reactor piping

1994 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Shibata ◽  
T. Isozaki ◽  
S. Ueda ◽  
R. Kurihara ◽  
K. Onizawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Water Reactor ◽  
Reliability Test ◽  
Test Program ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Water Reactor

Parametric Study of External Pressure on Steam Generator Tube Bends

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitch Hokazono ◽  
Clayton T. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Steam Generator ◽  
Parametric Study ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Light Water Reactor ◽  
Material Strength ◽  
Steam Generators ◽  
Elliptical Cross ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Water Reactor ◽  
Steam Generator Tubes

Integral light-water reactor designs propose the use of steam generators located within the reactor vessel. Steam generator tubes in these designs must withstand external pressure loadings to prevent buckling, which is affected by material strength, fabrication techniques, chemical environment and tube geometry. Experience with fired tube boilers has shown that buckling in boiler tubes is greatly alleviated by controlling ovality in bends when the tubes are fabricated. Light water reactor steam generator pressures will not cause a buckling problem in steam generators with reasonable fabrication limits on tube ovality and wall thinning. Utilizing existing Code rules, there is a significant design margin, even for the maximum differential pressure case. With reasonable bend design and fabrication limits the helical steam generator thermodynamic advantages can be realized without a buckling concern. This paper describes a theoretical methodology for determining allowable external pressure for steam generator tubes subject to tube ovality based on ASME Section III Code Case N-759-2 rules. A parametric study of the results of this methodology applied to an elliptical cross section with varying wall thicknesses, tube diameters, and ovality values is also presented.

Conservative Width of High-Burnup Structure in Light Water Reactor UO2Fuel as a Function of Pellet Average Burnup

2008 ◽  
Vol 164 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang-Hyun Koo ◽  
Byung-Ho Lee ◽  
Jae-Yong Oh ◽  
Kun-Woo Song
Keyword(s):  
Light Water Reactor ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Water Reactor ◽  
High Burnup
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