One of the critical issues for reactor pressure vessel (RPV) structural integrity is related to the pressurized thermal shock (PTS) event. Therefore, within the framework of safety assessments special emphasis is given to the effect of PTS-loadings caused by the nonuniform azimuthal temperature distribution due to cold water plumes or stripes during emergency coolant injection. This paper describes the method used to predict the thermal mechanic boundary conditions (system pressure and wall temperature). Using a system code the pressure and global temperature distributions were calculated, systematically varying the leak size and the location of the coolant water injection. Spatial and temporal temperature distributions in the main circulation pipes and at the RPV wall were predicted by mixing analyses with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The model used for these calculations was validated by post-test calculations of a UPTF (upper plenum test facility) experiment simulating cold leg injection during a small break loss of coolant accident (LOCA). Comparison with measured temperatures showed that the modeling used is suitable to obtain enveloping results. Fracture mechanics analyses were carried out for circumferential flaw sizes in the weld joint near the core region and between the RPV shell and the flange, as well as for axial flaws in the nozzle corner. Stress intensity factors KI were calculated numerically using the finite element program ansys and analytically on the basis of weight and polynomial influence functions using stresses obtained from elastic finite element analyses. Benchmark tests revealed good agreement between the results from numerical and analytical calculations. For all regions of the RPV investigated and the most severe transients it was demonstrated that a large safety margin against brittle crack initiation exists and brittle fracture of the RPV can be excluded.
Skip Nav Destination
e-mail: dieter.beukelmann@tuev-sued.de
e-mail: wenfeng.guo@tuev-sued.de
e-mail: wieland.holzer@tuev-sued.de
e-mail: robert.kauer@tuev-sued.de
e-mail: wolfgang.muench@tuev-sued.de
e-mail: christoph.reichel@tuev-sued.de
e-mail: peter.schoener@tuev-sued.de
Article navigation
February 2012
Research Papers
Safety Assessment of Reactor Pressure Vessel Integrity for Loss of Coolant Accident Conditions
Dieter Beukelmann,
e-mail: dieter.beukelmann@tuev-sued.de
Dieter Beukelmann
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Wenfeng Guo,
e-mail: wenfeng.guo@tuev-sued.de
Wenfeng Guo
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Wieland Holzer,
e-mail: wieland.holzer@tuev-sued.de
Wieland Holzer
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Robert Kauer,
e-mail: robert.kauer@tuev-sued.de
Robert Kauer
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Wolfgang Münch,
e-mail: wolfgang.muench@tuev-sued.de
Wolfgang Münch
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Christoph Reichel,
e-mail: christoph.reichel@tuev-sued.de
Christoph Reichel
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Peter Schöner
e-mail: peter.schoener@tuev-sued.de
Peter Schöner
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Dieter Beukelmann
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: dieter.beukelmann@tuev-sued.de
Wenfeng Guo
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: wenfeng.guo@tuev-sued.de
Wieland Holzer
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: wieland.holzer@tuev-sued.de
Robert Kauer
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: robert.kauer@tuev-sued.de
Wolfgang Münch
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: wolfgang.muench@tuev-sued.de
Christoph Reichel
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: christoph.reichel@tuev-sued.de
Peter Schöner
TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
, Westendstr. 199, 80686 Munich, Germany
e-mail: peter.schoener@tuev-sued.de
J. Pressure Vessel Technol. Feb 2012, 134(1): 011302 (10 pages)
Published Online: December 8, 2011
Article history
Received:
January 12, 2011
Revised:
July 1, 2011
Online:
December 8, 2011
Published:
December 8, 2011
Citation
Beukelmann, D., Guo, W., Holzer, W., Kauer, R., Münch, W., Reichel, C., and Schöner, P. (December 8, 2011). "Safety Assessment of Reactor Pressure Vessel Integrity for Loss of Coolant Accident Conditions." ASME. J. Pressure Vessel Technol. February 2012; 134(1): 011302. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4004799
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
The Behavior of Elbow Elements at Pure Bending Applications Compared to Beam and Shell Element Models
J. Pressure Vessel Technol (February 2025)
Related Articles
CFD Tool for Assessment of the Reactor Pressure Vessel Integrity in Pressure Thermal Shock Conditions: Influence of Turbulence Model and Mesh Refinement on the Vessel Thermal Loading During PTS Transient
J. Pressure Vessel Technol (June,2011)
Brittle Failure Assessment of a PWR-RPV for Operating Conditions and Loss of Coolant Accident
J. Pressure Vessel Technol (August,2008)
Probabilistic Pressurized Thermal Shock Analysis for a Reactor Pressure Vessel Considering Plume Cooling Effect
J. Pressure Vessel Technol (August,2016)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Insights and Results of the Shutdown PSA for a German SWR 69 Type Reactor (PSAM-0028)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)
Background InformatIon
Guidebook for the Design of ASME Section VIII Pressure Vessels
Lessons Learned: NRC Experience
Continuing and Changing Priorities of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Codes and Standards