Use of small specimens for fracture toughness evaluation of RPV steels

Mikhail A. Sokolov, Randy K. Nanstad

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Small specimens are playing the key role in evaluating properties of irradiated materials. The use of small specimens provides several advantages. Typically, only a small volume of material can be irradiated in a reactor at desirable conditions in terms of temperature, neutron flux, and neutron dose. A small volume of irradiated material may also allow for easier handling of specimens. Smaller specimens reduce the amount of radioactive material, minimizing personnel exposures and waste disposal. However, use of small specimens imposes a variety of challenges as well. These challenges are associated with proper accounting for size effects and transferability of small specimen data to the real structures of interest. Any fracture toughness specimen that can be made out of standard Charpy specimen or its broken half may have exceptional utility for evaluation of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) since it would allow one to determine and monitor directly actual fracture toughness instead of requiring indirect predictions using correlations established with impact data. The Charpy Vnotch specimen is the most commonly used specimen geometry in surveillance programs and most likely to be used in advanced reactors as per ASME code.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInternational Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP 2016
PublisherAmerican Nuclear Society
Pages238-242
Number of pages5
ISBN (Electronic)9781510825949
StatePublished - 2016
Event2016 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP 2016 - San Francisco, United States
Duration: Apr 17 2016Apr 20 2016

Publication series

NameInternational Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP 2016
Volume1

Conference

Conference2016 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco
Period04/17/1604/20/16

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