Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique

Muhammad Moazam Aslam; Atique Ahmad; Haseeb Yaqoob; Hafiz Muhammad Ali

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_24

Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique

Muhammad Moazam Aslam, Atique Ahmad, Haseeb Yaqoob^*, Hafiz Muhammad Ali^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

This study presents the computation of stress intensity factor (SIF) due to mechanical stress generated under tensile loading regarding a semi-elliptic surface crack initiated inside a finite plate. The analysis is further extended to study the effect of mechanical stresses on SIF for a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of the cylinder-nozzle intersection, which is considered the point of highest stress concentration. The specimen considered for the finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack is stainless steel under tensile loading of 200 MPa, and for RPV having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of cylinder-nozzle intersection under design pressure of 17.16 MPa, the material parameters correspond to SA-533 Grade B Class-1. The crack propagation depends upon the material’s fracture toughness; if SIF under mechanical loading exceeds the material’s fracture toughness, the crack propagates, leading to failure. The results obtained regarding SIF for a finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack considering worst case scenario is 56 MPa√m and for RPV with elliptic surface crack is 141.7 MPa√m, which is below the fracture toughness of the material showing safe design. This study uses the extended finite element method (XFEM) in open-source software (SALOME MECA) to exemplify its application and accuracy. The results are validated for both cases with a difference of less than 4% for the finite plate and 6% for RPV. The difference in results is due to limitations in computational power and mesh refinement.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE
Editors	Afaque Shams, Khaled Al-Athel, Iztok Tiselj, Andreas Pautz, Tomasz Kwiatkowski
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	233-247
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Print)	9783031643613
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_24
State	Published - 2024
Event	Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023 - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Duration: 13 Nov 2023 → 15 Nov 2023

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering
ISSN (Print)	2195-4356
ISSN (Electronic)	2195-4364

Conference

Conference	Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023
Country/Territory	Saudi Arabia
City	Dhahran
Period	13/11/23 → 15/11/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

Keywords

Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM)
Reactor Pressure Vessel
SALOME MECA
Semi-Elliptic Crack
Stress Intensity Factor
Westinghouse RPV

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Automotive Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_24

Cite this

Aslam, M. M., Ahmad, A., Yaqoob, H., & Muhammad Ali, H. (2024). Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique. In A. Shams, K. Al-Athel, I. Tiselj, A. Pautz, & T. Kwiatkowski (Eds.), Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE (pp. 233-247). (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_24

Aslam, Muhammad Moazam ; Ahmad, Atique ; Yaqoob, Haseeb et al. / Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique. Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. editor / Afaque Shams ; Khaled Al-Athel ; Iztok Tiselj ; Andreas Pautz ; Tomasz Kwiatkowski. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. pp. 233-247 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering).

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title = "Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique",

abstract = "This study presents the computation of stress intensity factor (SIF) due to mechanical stress generated under tensile loading regarding a semi-elliptic surface crack initiated inside a finite plate. The analysis is further extended to study the effect of mechanical stresses on SIF for a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of the cylinder-nozzle intersection, which is considered the point of highest stress concentration. The specimen considered for the finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack is stainless steel under tensile loading of 200 MPa, and for RPV having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of cylinder-nozzle intersection under design pressure of 17.16 MPa, the material parameters correspond to SA-533 Grade B Class-1. The crack propagation depends upon the material{\textquoteright}s fracture toughness; if SIF under mechanical loading exceeds the material{\textquoteright}s fracture toughness, the crack propagates, leading to failure. The results obtained regarding SIF for a finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack considering worst case scenario is 56 MPa√m and for RPV with elliptic surface crack is 141.7 MPa√m, which is below the fracture toughness of the material showing safe design. This study uses the extended finite element method (XFEM) in open-source software (SALOME MECA) to exemplify its application and accuracy. The results are validated for both cases with a difference of less than 4% for the finite plate and 6% for RPV. The difference in results is due to limitations in computational power and mesh refinement.",

keywords = "Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM), Reactor Pressure Vessel, SALOME MECA, Semi-Elliptic Crack, Stress Intensity Factor, Westinghouse RPV",

author = "Aslam, {Muhammad Moazam} and Atique Ahmad and Haseeb Yaqoob and {Muhammad Ali}, Hafiz",

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editor = "Afaque Shams and Khaled Al-Athel and Iztok Tiselj and Andreas Pautz and Tomasz Kwiatkowski",

booktitle = "Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE",

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Aslam, MM, Ahmad, A, Yaqoob, H & Muhammad Ali, H 2024, Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique. in A Shams, K Al-Athel, I Tiselj, A Pautz & T Kwiatkowski (eds), Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 233-247, Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 13/11/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_24

Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique. / Aslam, Muhammad Moazam; Ahmad, Atique; Yaqoob, Haseeb et al.
Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. ed. / Afaque Shams; Khaled Al-Athel; Iztok Tiselj; Andreas Pautz; Tomasz Kwiatkowski. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. p. 233-247 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T1 - Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique

AU - Aslam, Muhammad Moazam

AU - Ahmad, Atique

AU - Yaqoob, Haseeb

AU - Muhammad Ali, Hafiz

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - This study presents the computation of stress intensity factor (SIF) due to mechanical stress generated under tensile loading regarding a semi-elliptic surface crack initiated inside a finite plate. The analysis is further extended to study the effect of mechanical stresses on SIF for a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of the cylinder-nozzle intersection, which is considered the point of highest stress concentration. The specimen considered for the finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack is stainless steel under tensile loading of 200 MPa, and for RPV having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of cylinder-nozzle intersection under design pressure of 17.16 MPa, the material parameters correspond to SA-533 Grade B Class-1. The crack propagation depends upon the material’s fracture toughness; if SIF under mechanical loading exceeds the material’s fracture toughness, the crack propagates, leading to failure. The results obtained regarding SIF for a finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack considering worst case scenario is 56 MPa√m and for RPV with elliptic surface crack is 141.7 MPa√m, which is below the fracture toughness of the material showing safe design. This study uses the extended finite element method (XFEM) in open-source software (SALOME MECA) to exemplify its application and accuracy. The results are validated for both cases with a difference of less than 4% for the finite plate and 6% for RPV. The difference in results is due to limitations in computational power and mesh refinement.

AB - This study presents the computation of stress intensity factor (SIF) due to mechanical stress generated under tensile loading regarding a semi-elliptic surface crack initiated inside a finite plate. The analysis is further extended to study the effect of mechanical stresses on SIF for a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of the cylinder-nozzle intersection, which is considered the point of highest stress concentration. The specimen considered for the finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack is stainless steel under tensile loading of 200 MPa, and for RPV having an elliptic corner surface crack at the location of cylinder-nozzle intersection under design pressure of 17.16 MPa, the material parameters correspond to SA-533 Grade B Class-1. The crack propagation depends upon the material’s fracture toughness; if SIF under mechanical loading exceeds the material’s fracture toughness, the crack propagates, leading to failure. The results obtained regarding SIF for a finite plate having a semi-elliptic surface crack considering worst case scenario is 56 MPa√m and for RPV with elliptic surface crack is 141.7 MPa√m, which is below the fracture toughness of the material showing safe design. This study uses the extended finite element method (XFEM) in open-source software (SALOME MECA) to exemplify its application and accuracy. The results are validated for both cases with a difference of less than 4% for the finite plate and 6% for RPV. The difference in results is due to limitations in computational power and mesh refinement.

KW - Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM)

KW - Reactor Pressure Vessel

KW - SALOME MECA

KW - Semi-Elliptic Crack

KW - Stress Intensity Factor

KW - Westinghouse RPV

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BT - Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE

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A2 - Pautz, Andreas

A2 - Kwiatkowski, Tomasz

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

T2 - Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering, SCOPE 2023

Y2 - 13 November 2023 through 15 November 2023

ER -

Aslam MM, Ahmad A, Yaqoob H , Muhammad Ali H. Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique. In Shams A, Al-Athel K, Tiselj I, Pautz A, Kwiatkowski T, editors, Challenges and Recent Advancements in Nuclear Energy Systems - Proceedings of Saudi International Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering SCOPE. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2024. p. 233-247. (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-64362-0_24

Numerical Evaluation of Crack in the Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Using Extended Finite Element Method Technique

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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