Experience with Embrittlement Trend Curves in Swedish PWRs
2023 (English)In: Radiation Embrittlement Trend Curves and Equations and Their Use for RPV Integrity Evaluations, ASTM International , 2023, Vol. STP 1647, p. 382-397Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
There are currently two operating pressurized water reactors in Sweden, currently planning for 60 years of operation until 2041 and 2043. The acceptance of operation time is continuously evaluated at least every 10 years in a comprehensive mandatory periodic safety review that requires the utilities to continuously update and implement the developments in science and technology. The RPV welds have been shown by the applied surveillance program to be the limiting material for operation. The welds are manufactured according to the same specifications with a chemical composition with high nickel and manganese content. The welds show a large increase in transition temperature shift with an almost linear relationship to neutron fluence that is underestimated by most of the established embrittlement trend curves (ETCs). The current regulations from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority are in general not detailed and prescriptive and hence permit plant-specific ETCs if they are sufficiently justified and based on proper material and plant conditions. This paper describes the bases for the ETCs and an ongoing work to revise the ETCs to enable the use of a material-specific master curve for crack initiation, KIC, with compliance with the reactor vessel integrity analyses.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ASTM International , 2023. Vol. STP 1647, p. 382-397
Keywords [en]
embrittlement trend curve, fracture toughness, master curve, pressurized water reactor, reactor pressure vessel, reactor vessel integrity, surveillance program
National Category
Metallurgy and Metallic Materials
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-335058DOI: 10.1520/STP164720220067Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85166967891OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-335058DiVA, id: diva2:1793171
Conference
2022 Symposium on Radiation Embrittlement Trend Curves and Equations and Their Use for RPV Integrity Evaluations, Prague, Czechia, Apr 19 2022 - Apr 22 2022
Note
Part of ISBN 9780803177413
QC 20230831
2023-08-312023-08-312023-08-31Bibliographically approved