Validation of the surveillance concepts and trend curves by the investigation of decommissioned RPVs

The investigation of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material from the decommissioned Greifswald NPP representing the first generation of Russian type WWER-440/V-230 reactors offers the opportunity to evaluate the real toughness response. The paper presents test results measured on trepans taken from the multilayer beltline welding seam SN0.1.4. and forged base metal ring 0.3.1. located in the reactor core region of the Unit 4 RPV. This unit was shut down after 11 years of operation and represents the irradiated condition. The characterisation of the irradiation response is based on the measurement of the hardness, the yield stress, the Master Curve reference temperature, T0, and the Charpy-V transition temperature through the thickness of multi-layer beltline welding seam SN0.1.4 and the forged base metal ring 0.3.1.
For the beltline welding seam we observed a large variation in the through thickness T0 values. The T0 values measured with the T-S-oriented Charpy size SE(B) specimens cut from different thickness locations of the multilayer beltline welding seam strongly depend on the intrinsic weld bead structure along the crack tip. In general, the fracture toughness values at cleavage failure, KJc-1T, measured on SE(B) specimens from beltline welding seam follow the Master Curve description, but more than the expected number lie outside the curves for 2 % and 98 % fracture probability. In this case the test standard ASTM E1921 indicates the investigated multi-layer weld metal as not uniform. The multi modal Master Curve based approach describes the temperature dependence of the specimen size adjusted KJc-1T values well.
The KJc values measured on L-S oriented Charpy size SE(B) specimens from defined thickness locations of the forged base metal ring 0.3.1. strongly scatter. The progression of the T0 values through the thickness lies in the range from 121 °C to 130 °C and indicate no irradiation induced embrittlement within the through the thickness fluence range from 5.38 to 1.20 ∙ 1019 n/cm2 (E > 0.5 MeV). The application of the multi modal extension [Wallin 2004, Viehrig 2006, Scibetta 2010] on the summarised dataset does essentially improve the situation. More than allowed 2% of the specimen size adjusted KJc-1T values lie below the fracture toughness curve for 2% fracture probability. The reason for the occurrence of very low KJc values is seen in intergranular planes detected on the fractured surfaces of the specimens. The application of modified MC based evaluation methods indicates the material as non-homogeneous.
The investigation show that Master Curve, T0, and Charpy-V, TT47J, based ductile-to-brittle transition temperature progressions through the thickness of the multi-layer welding seam and the forged base metal ring of the decommissioned Greifswald WWER-440 first generation RPV do not correspond to the forecast according to the current Russian code.