An Application of the Brittle Fracture Criterion Gp Method to a RPV Type Geometry –Towards the Industrialization of the Method1st: ZHENG Bin (CNNC/NPIC),&nbsp;2nd: H. Liu (EDF/R&amp;D/Chine),3rd: XIE Hai (CNNC/NPIC),4th: S. JULES&nbsp;(EDF/R&amp;D/ERMES)ABSTRACTWith the life extension of NPPs world-wide, new challenges have emerged in engineering calculations. These challenges often stem from the difficulty to demonstrate an adequate margin for some key components, which have gradually been ageing during the operation of the plant. In particular, the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is impacted by the irradiation, and the risk of brittle fracture under severe cold shocks must be assessed.In parallel to conventional approaches, a significant amount work has been performed over the past 20 years in France to adapt the historic Griffith energy release-rate approach to engineering space. The work was initiated by Francfort and Marigo [1]&nbsp;who set up a new elastic fracture theory, extended from the Griffith approach. Within EDF R&amp;D, Lorentz and Wadier [2][3]&nbsp;have since then improved the model which is based on several ingredients including the application of an energy minimization principle, the definition of a specific damage model and the use of a notch to represent the crack.Among other advantages, the Gp&nbsp;method has been developed as a true engineering approach and hence relatively easy to implement in a FE software: it has already been implemented into code_aster developed by EDF R&amp;D [4].Beyond the application in France, and in the wake of a simple comparison benchmark launched in 2018 with CNNC/NPIC from China on a CT specimen [5], a calculation on a RPV type geometry was initiated. This is the second step of a larger effort between CNNC/NPIC and EDF R&amp;D aiming at working together on establishing a strong industrial basis to demonstrate applicability in engineering and structural integrity space.The paper provides the progress achieved in the benchmark work and the results obtained in the frame of the work jointly led with CNNC/NPIC in the field. &nbsp;[1]&nbsp;Francfort GA, Marigo J-J. «&nbsp;Revisiting brittle fracture as an energy minimization problem.” J Mech Phys Solids 1998;46(8):1319–42.[2]&nbsp;Lorentz E, Wadier Y, Debruyne G. «&nbsp;Mécanique de la rupture fragile en présence de plasticité: définition d’un taux de restitution d’énergie.&nbsp;» Comp Rend Acad Sci IIB – Mech 2000;328(9):657–62. (in French)[3]&nbsp;Wadier Y., Nam Le H., Bargellini R. «&nbsp;An energy approach to predict cleavage fracture under non-proportional loading&nbsp;» Engineering Fracture Mechanics 97 (2013) 30–51[4]&nbsp;Jules S. et al., “Brittle fracture prediction using code_aster – review of available models and focus on the Gp energy approach,” PVP 2018 Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, PVP2018-84096[5]&nbsp;Liu H. et al., “Simple benchmark study on CT specimen failure prediction using the innovative Gp method,” ICONE 27th&nbsp;conference 2019, Tsukuba, Japan, ICONE27-1804

An Application of the Brittle Fracture Criterion Gp Method to a RPV Type Geometry – Towards the Industrialization of the Method

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/PVP/PVP2021/volume/85314

ASME 2021 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2021)

Supporting the need among researchers worldwide for additional online and multimedia content, ASME now offers the ASME Conference Video Collection. This platform will collect and provide long-term access to conference presentation videos, encompassing all technology areas within ASME's technical conference and events program. About 30,000-40,000 engineers across all mechanical engineering and related disciplines participate in ASME conferences each year. This includes authors of approximately 6,000 to 8,000 technical papers published by ASME, the majority of whom also submit video presentations for our virtual conferences. The video collection will be available as an add-on to existing product packages or as a separate subscription.