Effect of membrane and through-wall bending stresses on fatigue crack growth behavior and coolant leakage velocity

This study clarified the effect of a membrane and a through-wall bending stresses on fatigue crack growth behavior and coolant leakage velocity due to irregularity of crack surface. Each stress component relates to fatigue crack growth behavior directly in general and thus the wild-used KI solutions are anticipated to give good evaluation results on it. Meanwhile, it is necessary to notify that surface irregularity for coolant leakage assessment is made by stress history in nature. Surface irregularity is known to be largely classified into the following two aspects: surface roughness due to continuous crack opening and closure behavior and surface turnover due to cyclic bending stress dominance. Therefore, the deterministic parameters on resistance of coolant leakage by surface irregularity are considered to be not only stress history but crack opening behavior. (author)