Heavy-section steel technology program intermediate-scale pressure vessel tests

Eight intentionally flawed thick-walled pressure vessels of ASTM A508 class 2 forging steel or A533, grade B, class 1 steel plate have been pressurized to fracture or leak. Tests of these vessels (990 mm OD, 152 mm wall thickness) permitted the study of fracture behavior of structures under stress states not attainable with conventional testing machines. The test section thickness was chosen in order to provide a test configuration that was essentially full-scale relative to BWR and PWR pressure vessels. Experimental results were used to evaluate and improve methods of fracture analysis that could be used in predicting failure conditions of reactor type vessels. (Auth.)