The inner surface of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is assumed to be subjected to pressurized thermal shocks (PTSs) caused by the injection of emergency cooling water. The downstream is not homogeneous but typically in a plume shape coming from the inlet nozzles. In this paper, both deterministic and probabilistic methods are used to assess the integrity of a model RPV subjected to PTS. The favor code is used to calculate the probabilities for crack initiation and failure of the RPV considering crack distributions based on cracks observed in the Shoreham and PVRUF RPVs. The study shows that peak KI of the cracks inside the plume increases about 33% compared with that outside. The conditional probability inside the plume is more than eight orders of magnitude higher than outside the plume. In order to be conservative, it is necessary to consider the plume effect in the integrity assessment.
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August 2016
Research-Article
Probabilistic Pressurized Thermal Shock Analysis for a Reactor Pressure Vessel Considering Plume Cooling Effect
Guian Qian,
Guian Qian
Laboratory for Nuclear Materials,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: guian.qian@psi.ch
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: guian.qian@psi.ch
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V. F. González-Albuixech,
V. F. González-Albuixech
Laboratory for Nuclear Materials,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: vicente.gonzalez@psi.ch
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: vicente.gonzalez@psi.ch
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Markus Niffenegger,
Markus Niffenegger
Laboratory for Nuclear Materials,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: markus.niffenegger@psi.ch
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: markus.niffenegger@psi.ch
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Medhat Sharabi
Medhat Sharabi
Laboratory for Thermal Hydraulics,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland;
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland;
Mechanical Power Engineering Department,
Mansoura University,
Mansoura 35516, Egypt
e-mail: medhat.sharabi@psi.ch
Mansoura University,
Mansoura 35516, Egypt
e-mail: medhat.sharabi@psi.ch
Search for other works by this author on:
Guian Qian
Laboratory for Nuclear Materials,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: guian.qian@psi.ch
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: guian.qian@psi.ch
V. F. González-Albuixech
Laboratory for Nuclear Materials,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: vicente.gonzalez@psi.ch
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: vicente.gonzalez@psi.ch
Markus Niffenegger
Laboratory for Nuclear Materials,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: markus.niffenegger@psi.ch
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
e-mail: markus.niffenegger@psi.ch
Medhat Sharabi
Laboratory for Thermal Hydraulics,
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland;
Nuclear Energy and Safety Department,
Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland;
Mechanical Power Engineering Department,
Mansoura University,
Mansoura 35516, Egypt
e-mail: medhat.sharabi@psi.ch
Mansoura University,
Mansoura 35516, Egypt
e-mail: medhat.sharabi@psi.ch
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Pressure Vessel and Piping Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF PRESSURE VESSEL TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received August 4, 2015; final manuscript received November 27, 2015; published online April 28, 2016. Assoc. Editor: Allen C. Smith.
J. Pressure Vessel Technol. Aug 2016, 138(4): 041204 (8 pages)
Published Online: April 28, 2016
Article history
Received:
August 4, 2015
Revised:
November 27, 2015
Citation
Qian, G., González-Albuixech, V. F., Niffenegger, M., and Sharabi, M. (April 28, 2016). "Probabilistic Pressurized Thermal Shock Analysis for a Reactor Pressure Vessel Considering Plume Cooling Effect." ASME. J. Pressure Vessel Technol. August 2016; 138(4): 041204. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4032197
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