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Technical Papers

Investigation of the Inhomogeneous Mechanical and Crack Driving Force of Low Alloy Steel SA508 and Its Welded 309L/308L Stainless Steel Cladding

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Pages 623-632 | Received 19 Apr 2022, Accepted 06 Sep 2022, Published online: 15 Nov 2022
 

Abstract

Low alloy steel SA508 autogenously welded with Type 309L/308L austenitic stainless steel cladding is one of the common forms of the dissimilar metal weld joint (DMWJ) in the primary water of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Accurate evaluation of the inhomogeneous mechanical propriety and crack growth driving force at the corresponding place on the DMWJ is important for integrity analyses of a PWR. In this study, the mechanical propriety of the DMWJ was obtained using a combined Vickers hardness test and the stress-hardness relationship. And, a finite element (FE) model for the DMWJ in a PWR with continuous transition mechanical propriety was built using a predefined temperature field method. Based on consideration of the heterogeneity mechanical properties on the DMWJ with the continuous transition mechanical propriety, the Mises stress distribution and J integral on the crack tip with different crack lengths was analyzed using elastoplastic FE analysis. As shown by the distribution profile of the Mises stress distribution and J integral on the crack tip, the inhomogeneous mechanical propriety distribution is found to significantly affect the crack driving force when the crack tip is close to the fusion boundary.

Acronyms

BM:=

base metal

DMWJ:=

dissimilar metal weld joint

EBSD:=

electron backscattered diffraction

FB:=

fusion boundary

HAZ:=

heat affected zone

NPP:=

nuclear power plant

PWHT:=

post weld heat treatment

PWR:=

pressurized water reactor

SCC:=

stress corrosion cracking

SS:=

stainless steel

WM:=

weld metal

Nomenclature

a=

= crack length

d=

= distance from the welded interface

E=

= Young’s modulus

HV=

= Vickers hardness

J=

= J integral

n=

= strain hardening exponent

Greek

β=

= length of the plastic plateau

ε=

= strain

ɛst=

= strain at the starting point of the strain hardening stage

θ=

= angle with crack propagation direction

ν=

= Poisson’s ratio

σ=

= stress

σm=

= Mises stress

σm max=

= maximum Mises stress

σu=

= tensile strength

σy=

= yield strength

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (52075434), Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research (2019B030302011), Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (2021JM-389), Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Enterpreneurial Teams (2016ZT06G025), and China Scholarship Council (201808610225).

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript. We confirm that the mentioned funding in the “Acknowledgment” section did not lead to any conflict of interests regarding the publication of this manuscript, and there is no other possible conflict of interests in the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China [52075434]; Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research [2019B030302011]; China Scholarship Council [201808610225]; Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Enterpreneurial Teams [2016ZT06G025]; Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province [2021JM-389].

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