FEM-Calculation of Different Creep-Tests with French and German RPV-Steels

For calculations of Lower Head Failure experiments like FOREVER it is necessary to model creep and plasticity processes. Therefore a Finite Element Model is developed using a numerical approach which avoids the use of a single creep law employing constants derived from the data for a limited stress and temperature range. Instead of this a numerical creep data base (CDB) is developed where the creep strain rate is evaluated in dependence on the current total strain, temperature and equivalent stress. A main task for this approach is the generation and validation of the CDB. For an evaluation of the failure times a damage model according to an approach of Lemaitre is applied.
The validation of the numerical model is performed by the simulation of and compari-son with experiments. This is done in 3 levels: starting with the simulation of single uniaxial creep tests, which is considered as a 1D-problem. In the next level so called “tube-failure-experiments” are modeled: the RUPTHER-14 and the “MPA-Meppen”-experiment. These experiments are considered as 2D-problems. Finally the numerical model is applied to scaled 3D-experiments, where the lower head of a PWR is represented in its hemispherical shape, like in the FOREVER-experiments.
An interesting question to be solved in this frame is the comparability of the French 16MND5 and the German 20MnMoNi55 RPV-steels, which are chemically nearly identical. If these 2 steels show a similar behavior, it should be allowed to transfer experimental and numerical data from one to the other.