The UK is entering a new era for civil nuclear power which involves extending the operating life of existing plant, building new plant and designing plant for future fission reactors (Gen IV). The latter two will be required to operate for periods which present challenges for the present materials and methodologies. This paper reviews these potential challenges in the context of the current understanding of materials performance and existing assessment methodologies. In addition, it provides an example of an unexpected creep-related challenge arising from long term operation of Type 316H boiler tubes.
FlewittP.E.J., Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, in: BakkerA. (ed), Delft University Press, 1995.
2.
KnottJ.F., Two steps from disaster - The science and engineering of structural integrity, in: The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering 1999 Lecture, published by The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering1999.
3.
GoransonU.G., International Journal of Fatigue16 (1994), 43.
4.
HarrisD.O.WellsC.H.RauS.A. and DedhiaD.D., International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping59 (1994), 175.
5.
DowlingA.R. and FlewittP.E.J., Methods for the Assessment of Structural Integrity of Components and Structures, in: LidburyD. and HirschP.B. Maney (eds) 2003.
6.
BulloughR.BurdekinF.M.ChapmanO.J.V.GreenV.R.LidburyD.P.G.SwinglerJ.N. and WilsonR., International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping78 (2001), 539.
7.
BurdekinF.M., Some further thoughts on incredibility of failure, TAGSI Paper 108 (1996).
8.
Special Technical Publication 381, American Society for the Testing and Materials (1965).
9.
HarrisonR.P.LoosemoreK. and MilneI., Assessment of the integrity of structures containing defects, Central Electricity Generating Board, Report R/H/R6 (1976).
10.
HarrisonR.P.LoosemoreK. and MilneI., Assessment of the integrity of structures containing defects, Central Electricity Generating Board, Report R/H/R6-Revision 1 (1977).
11.
HarrisonR.P.LoosemoreK.MilneI. and DowlingA.R., Assessment of the integrity of structures containing defects, Central Electricity Generating Board, Report R/H/R6-Revision 2 (1980).
12.
MilneI.AinsworthR.A.DowlingA.R. and StewartA.T., International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping32 (1988), 3.
13.
DowlingA.R. and TownleyC.H.A., International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping3 (1975), 77.
14.
R5 Assessment procedure for the high temperature response of structures, Issue 1, Nuclear Electric (1990).
15.
R5 Assessment procedure for the high temperature response of structures, Issue 2, Nuclear Electric (1992).
16.
R5 Assessment procedure for the high temperature response of structures, Issue 3, British Energy Generation (2003).
17.
R5 Assessment procedure for the high temperature response of structures, Issue 3, Revision 001, EDF Energy Nuclear Generation (2012).
18.
ASME Boiler and pressure vessel code, Section III, Division 1 - Subsection NH, Class 1 components in elevated temperature service, ASME (2010).
19.
RCC-MRx: Design and construction rules for mechanical components of nuclear installations, AFCEN (2007).
20.
HammC.D., (ed) AGR materials data handbook, R66, revision 009, EDF Energy Nuclear Generation (2011).
21.
Status report on structural materials for advanced nuclear systems, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (2013).
22.
AbramT., A technology road map for Generation-IV nuclear systems, US Department of Energy (2002).
23.
SpeidelM.O., Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, in: MillerK.T. and SmithR.F. (eds), Pergamon, 1979.
24.
TiceD.R., Corrosion Science25 (1985), 705.
25.
TiceD.R., Structural Integrity of Nuclear Power Plant, in: KnottJ.F. and TomkinsB.D. (eds), EMAS Publishing, 2013.
26.
DoigP. and FlewittP.E.J., Metallurgical Transactions A14 (1983), 978.
27.
DoigP. and FlewittP.E.J., Mechanisms of Environment Sensitive Cracking in Materials, in: SwannP.R.FordF.P. and WestwoodA.R.C. (eds), The Metals Society, 1977.
28.
TurnbullA., Proceedings of the Royal Society A470 (2014), 20140254.
29.
Regulatory Guide 1.207, Guidelines for evaluating fatigue analyses incorporating the life reduction of metal components due to the effects of the light-water reactor environment for new reactors, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2007).
30.
ChapraO. and StevensG.L., Effect of LWR coolant environments on the fatigue life of reactor materials (NUREG/CR-6909, Revision 1) - Draft, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2014).
31.
EvansR.W. and WilshireB., Creep of Metals and Alloys, The Institute of Metals, 1985.
32.
AshbyM.F., Acta Metallurgica20 (1972), 887.
33.
FrostH.J. and AshbyM.F., Deformation-mechanisms Maps, Pergamon, 1982.
34.
FieldsR.J.WeerasooriyaT. and AshbyM.F., Metallurgical Transactions A11 (1980), 333.
35.
MillerD.A. and LangdonT.G., Metallurgical Transactions A10 (1979), 1635.
36.
NabarroF.R.N., Report of a Conference on the Strength of Solids, The Physical Society, 1948.
37.
HerringC., Journal of Applied Physics21 (1950), 437.
38.
CobleR.L., Journal of Applied Physics34 (1963), 1679.
39.
KassnerM.E., Fundamentals of Creep in Metals and Alloys, Elsevier, 2009.
40.
SherbyO.D. and BurkeP.M., Progress in Materials Science13 (1967), 323.
41.
TakeuchiS. and ArgonA.S., Acta Metallurgica24 (1976), 883.
42.
OrlovaA. and CadekJ., Materials Science and Engineering77 (1986), 1.
43.
KassnerM.E. and Perez-PradoM.T., Progress in Materials Science45 (2000), 1.
44.
GittusJ., Creep, Viscoelasticity and Creep Fracture in Solids, Applied Science Publisher, 1975.
45.
TakeuchiS. and ArgonA.S., Journal of Materials Science11 (1976), 1542.
46.
BlumW., Materials Science and Engineering A319 (2001), 8.
47.
PadilhaA.F. and RiosP.R., ISIJ International42 (2002), 325.
48.
LoK.H.ShekC.H. and LaiJ.K.L., Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports65 (2009), 39.
49.
LaiJ.K.L., Materials Science and Engineering61 (1983), 101.
50.
WeissR.S. and SticklerB., Metallurgical Transactions3 (1972), 851.
51.
Martinez-UbedaA.I.GriffithsI.OliverJ.YounesC.M.ScottT.B. and FlewittP.E.J., ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference2016.
52.
ChenB.FlewittP.E.J.CocksA.C.F. and SmithD.J., International Materials Reviews60 (2015), 1.
53.
MohamedF.A. and LangdonT.G., Acta Metallurgica22 (1974), 779.
54.
DysonB.F., Materials Science and Technology25 (2009), 213.
55.
MaA.DyeD. and ReedR.C., Acta Materialia56 (2008), 1657.
56.
Martinez-UbedaA.I., PhD thesis, University of Bristol (2017).
57.
Martinez-UbedaA.I.GriffithsI.KarunaratneM.S.A.FlewittP.E.J.YounesC.M. and ScottT.B., Procedia Structural Integrity2 (2016), 958.
