In this study, the creep crack growth (CCG) properties and fracture mechanism of a Cr-Mo-V steel at 566 C in compact tension (CT) specimens were investigated, and the CCG rate was predicted by using the NSW model. The results show that the CCG rate measured by CT specimens is much lower than that predicted by the NSW model under plane-strain state. This means that the NSW model prediction for the CCG rate of the steel is over-conservative. In addition, the CCG rate da/dt versus C measured by the experiments shows the piecewise linear relation on log-log scale instead of a single linear relation predicted by the NSW model. The main reasons for these results are that the actual creep fracture mechanism of the steel and the actual creep crack tip stress field in the CT specimens have not been fully captured in the NSW model. The experimental observation shows that the creep crack propagates in a discontinuous way (step by step) at meso-scale, and the cracks at micro-scale are usually formed by the growth and coalescence of voids on grain boundaries. The NSW model based on the creep ductility exhaustion approach may not correctly describe this creep fracture process. In addition, the opening stress and triaxial stress ahead of crack tips calculated by three-dimensional finite element method is lower than those predicted by the HRR stress field which is used in the NSW model under plane-strain state. The use of the high HRR stress field will cause high CCG rates. The change in the creep fracture mechanism at micro-scale in different ranges of C may cause the piecewise linear relation between the da/dt and C . Therefore, it is necessary to study the actual CCG mechanism in a wide range of C and the actual creep crack tip stress field to establish accurate CCG prediction models.
利用热弹塑性有限元法计算研究核反应压力容器控制棒驱动机构(Control rod drive mechanism,CRDM)管座中心J形坡口接头中焊接残余应力的分布规律,并将焊接残余应力场导入到含裂纹的三维CRDM管座接头模型中,直接计算得到焊接残余应力与工作内压和温度载荷偶合作用下的裂纹前沿等效应力强度因子Keq的分布规律。计算结果表明:焊后CRDM管座接头区中的环向残余应力远高于轴向残余应力;受焊接残余应力分布的影响,裂纹前沿Keq的最大值并非出现在裂纹前沿最深处,而是出现在裂纹下半部分靠近焊缝处;裂纹深度比a/δ的增加所引起的Keq的增加远大于裂纹长度2c的增加所引起的Keq增加。接头区的裂纹在其前沿实际Keq分布的控制下将以自然形态扩展,而并非以目前标准规范中假设的半椭圆形态扩展。为进行准确的裂纹扩展分析和安全评价,需要基于详细的有限元计算,给出考虑焊接残余应力影响下的裂纹前沿Keq的分布。
