Abstract
The environmental fatigue correction factor (Fen) is mainly used to analyze the influence of the coolant environment on the fatigue life of primary metal materials. Because the calculation of the transformed strain rate is related to the stress history of the component structure, how to determine the strain rate is the most critical step in calculating the Fen. The approaches of the detailed method were given by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) guidelines and RCC-M-2017 Edition Section VI- RPP No. 3 separately, so a gap analysis was performed between the two methods. Furthermore, another average method was also proposed to determine the average strain rate and strain range. Based on the analysis benchmark provided in the EPRI guideline, a simple case study was performed to account for the effect on the fatigue life in applications with different strain rate approaches and different Fen expressions. Finally, two industry case studies were also completed, including on materials of low alloy steel, austenitic stainless steel, and nickel-base alloy. We suggest adopting a more accurate detailed method, and its methodology is recommended to provide more reasonable solutions.
Highlights
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For the primary circuit metal materials, such as low-alloy steel, austenitic stainless steel, and nickel chromium iron alloy, compared with the air environment, the fatigue life will be significantly reduced under the reactor coolant environment and low strain rate [1,2,3,4]
The approach of the detailed method was given by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) guidelines (GD), and the framework for the method
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Due to the long-term high-temperature, high-pressure, and radioactive working environment of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the transient loads and fatigue damage are unavoidable time-limited aging phenomena in the life of an RPV and a steam generator. For the primary circuit metal materials, such as low-alloy steel, austenitic stainless steel, and nickel chromium iron alloy, compared with the air environment, the fatigue life will be significantly reduced under the reactor coolant environment and low strain rate [1,2,3,4]. In the management guideline Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.207 [5], the Nuclear
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