Probabilistic fracture mechanics of nuclear structural components: consideration of transition from embedded crack to surface crack

This paper describes a probabilistic fracture mechanics (PhM) analysis of aged nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material. New interpolation lormulas of three-dimensional stress intensity factors are presented for both embedded elliptical surface cracks and semi-elliptical surface cracks. To investigate effects of transition from embedded crack to surface crack in PFM analyses, one of the PFM round-robin problems set by JSME-RC111 committee (i.e. aged RPV under normal and upset operating conditions) is solved, employing the interpolation formulas. © 1999 Elsevicr Science S.A. All rights reserved.