New approaches for evaluation of brittle strength of reactor pressure vessels

Based on the Master curve conception, condition of brittle strength is formulated for heterogeneous distribution of stress intensity factor along crack front and non-monotonic, non-isothermic loading. This formulation includes the elaborated procedure for taking into account the effects of shallow cracks and biaxial loading on fracture toughness. It is concluded as follows: (1) A condition of brittle strength is formulated for reactor pressure vessel with crack-like flaw in probabilistic statement. As the condition of brittle strength it is taken condition Pf < Pf(bar) where Pf is fracture probability, and Pf(bar) is a given level of fracture probability. Formulation of this condition is based on the weakest link model and takes into account a variation of the stress intensity factor KI and KIC along the crack front. (2) Dependencies are proposed which allow to take into account the shallow crack effect and the biaxial loading effect on fracture toughness of reactor pressure vessel steels. (3) Using approaches presented in the present paper allows one to decrease conservatism and to increase adequacy of evaluations of brittle strength of reactor pressure vessels. Now these approaches have been included in Russian Standard on evaluation of brittle fracture of RPV of WWER type