Structural integrity analysis of reactor coolant pump flywheel(I)

A reactor coolant pump flywheel is an important machine element to provide the necessary rotational inertia in the event of loss of power to the pumps. This paper attempts to assess the influence of keyways on flywheel stresses and fracture behaviour in detail. The finite element method was used to determine stresses near keyways, including residual stresses, and to establish stress intensity factors for keyway cracks for use in fracture mechanics assessments. (Author)