Influence of the representation models of the stress-strain law on the LMFBR structures in an HCDA

Most of analysis involved in mechanical calculations related to explosive accidents in fast breeder reactors are now aware of the inadequacy of certain rough stress-strain laws to representing the correct behaviour of vessel materials. Indeed stress waves along the vessel walls deform the material at a high strain rate with multiaxial loading or reverse loading. Recently different questions have been under investigation in France in this direction and the present study, performed in the frame of the agreement CNEN-CEA, is an example of the way how two very important factors (strain rate and strain hardening) may be taken into account in the constitutive equations of materials subject to dynamic deformations. Several parametric calculations have been carried out with the hydrodynamic structural codes ASTARTE-3/4 and SIRIUS, which are the Lagrangian validated code now available at the CNEN and CEA-Cadarache computing centres. Analysis was performed by comparing two reference calculations relating to the MARA 01 and COVA IT7 explosive tests with experimental data and with other calculations in which different values of the initial hardening and of the strain rates of the tank shell material were introduced. In general both codes give similar results; improvements of predicted axial and hoop strains and of impulses in water have been reached in certain cases but it is difficult to find a general trend and there is no ideal constitutive model: indeed the strain rate is not constant in time, in place and in direction and some parts of the vessels are uniaxially loaded while others are multiaxially loaded