Cleavage and Ductile Thermal Shock Fractures of Corner-Cracked Nozzles

In order to study the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel under pressurized thermal shock, both the cleavage and the ductile thermal shock fracture experiments using initially corner-cracked nozzle specimens made of Type A508 class 3 pressure vessel steel were performed. In both experiments, unstable fractures were realized, although the test conditions were very conservative compared to those of real plants. Finally, the three-dimensional and time-dependent fracture parameter obtained with the finite element method was successfully employed to discuss the fracture phenomenon.