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Irradiation Response of Greifswald Unit 8 RPV Steels

Viehrig, H.-W.; Gillemot, F.; Horvat, M.; Acosta, B.; Debarberis, L.

Base and weld metal and cladding of the not commissioned SKODA reactor pressure vessel of Greifswald Unit 8 was investigated. Tensile, Charpy size SE(B) and 0.5T-C(T) specimens were irradiated at the LYRA and BAGIRA irradiation rigs with different neutron fluxes. The main focus was on fracture toughness testing according to the Mater Curve approach and crack extension curves. With these tests the reference temperature T0 and fracture toughness values for ductile tearing according to the ASTM test standards ASTM E1921 and ASTM E1820, respectively, were determined.
The irradiation in the LYRA rig with a neutron flux of about 1.57•1012 n/cm2 results in shifts of the reference temperature ΔT0 which correspond with the prediction according to the Russian WWER-440 code. In contrast the BAGIRA irradiation with a neutron flux of about 68.6•1012 n/cm2 results in remarkable higher ΔT0 values then predicted. For weld metal from multilayer welding seams the orientation of the specimens is crucial for the direct measurement of the fracture toughness by using the MC concept. The evaluation of J-R curves measured on Charpy size SE(B) specimens is demanding because of the unsteady developing through the different structures of the cladding.

Keywords: reactor pressure vessel steel; neutron; neutron irradiation; fracture toughness; Master Curve approach; crack extension curve; neutron embrittlement

  • Lecture (Conference)
    IAEA Specialists’ Meeting on Irradiation Embrittlement and Life Management of Reactor Pressure Vessels, 18.-22.10.2010, Znojmo, Czech Republic

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-14826
Publ.-Id: 14826