Nuclear Engineering and Design 197 (2000) 155 168 www.elsevier.

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Fracture resistance of cracked duplex stainless steel elbows under bending with or without internal pressure
P. Se me te a,*, P. Le Delliou a, S. Ignaccolo b
Electricite De France (EDF), Direction des Etudes et Recherches, De partement MTC, Les Renardie ` res, 77818 Moret s /Loing Cedex, France b Electricite De France (EDF), Direction de lEquipement, SEPTEN, 12 -14, a6enue Dutrie6oz, 69628 Villeurbanne Cedex, France Received 17 August 1998; received in revised form 14 July 1999; accepted 13 September 1999
a

Abstract Electricite De France (EDF), in co-operation with Framatome, has conducted a large research programme on the fracture behaviour of aged cast duplex stainless steel elbows. One important task of this programme consisted of testing three large diameter (580 mm O.D.) thermally aged cast elbows containing either one or two semi-elliptical notches on the outer surface of the ank. The rst two elbow tests (called SEM1 and SEM2) were conducted under in-plane closure bending at 320C and the third one (called SEM3) under constant internal pressure and in-plane closure bending at 60C. Those tests were carried out with 2/3-scale models of PWR primary loop elbows. This paper presents the results of the experiments and the results of the fracture mechanics analyses, based on nite element calculations. 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction Some components of the primary loop of Pressurized Water Reactors (pump casings, some elbows, pipes, ttings and valve casings) are made of cast duplex stainless steels. The fact that this kind of steel may age even at relatively low temperatures (under 400C, i.e. in the temperature range of PWR service conditions) has been documented since the early 1980s (Chopra and Ayrault, 1985). The ageing is caused by a microstructural evolution of the ferritic phase. An
* Corresponding author. Tel.: + 33-1-60-737220; fax: + 331-60-736559.

important consequence of this ageing process is the decrease in the toughness properties of the duplex material. It is feared that an embrittlement, associated with the occurrence of casting defects, may increase the risk of failure. Therefore, an extensive programme has been launched in order to determine acceptability criteria for operating cast stainless steel components of the primary circuit. An overview of the research programme on the fracture behaviour of aged cast duplex stainless components conducted by EDF, in co-operation with Framatome, is presented in Massoud et al. (1997). This programme included tests on 2/3 scale mock-ups of the primary circuit elbows (Eripret et al., 1990; Le Delliou et al.,

0029-5493/00/$ - see front matter 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 0 2 9 - 5 4 9 3 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 2 6 3 - 0

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1996), loaded under in-plane closure bending, with and without internal pressure. The rst two tests (under in-plane closure bending only, at 320C) were already presented in a previous paper (Le Delliou et al., 1996). The corresponding results are recalled here and are complemented by the results obtained with the third test for which the elbow was loaded with internal pressure and in-plane bending at 60C. This paper presents experimental results, the numerical computations, and the fracture mechanics analyses that were performed for the three tests.

outer diameter thickness bend radius bend angle

580 mm 44 mm 900 mm 90 degrees.

2. Test description

2.1. Description of the elbows

The elbows were made of Z3 CND 19-10M duplex stainless steel (French standard equivalent to CF8M). Table 1 shows the important elements in the thermal ageing phenomenon of duplex stainless steels, the equivalent chromium content Cr* (Cr* = Cr + Si + Mo), as well as the l ferrite content. Prior to the tests, the rst two elbows were thermally aged over 3000 h at 400C, while the third one was aged over 1000 h at 400C. Their dimensions were as follow:
Table 1 Chemical composition of the elbow steels (by weight%) Material I.D. SEM1 SEM2 SEM3 Si 1.13 1.19 1.23 Ni 10.00 10.15 10.20 Cr

The elbows of the rst two tests contained a semi-elliptical notch on the outer surface of one ank and were loaded under in-plane closure bending. For each elbow, the crack was located so that it was submitted to tensile stresses. The characteristics of the notches are given in Table 2 and are represented in Fig. 1. For the third test, the elbow contained both cracks previously described (one on each ank) and was loaded with constant internal pressure of 15.5 MPa and under in-plane closure bending. The notches were manufactured by electric discharge machining and were not fatigue-sharpened.

2.2. Description of the test conditions

The test facility used by EDF, called  SEM  , is schematically represented in Fig. 2. One end of the elbow is xed to a rigid welded frame embedded in the ground, while the other end is tted with a 6 m long straight pipe used as a moment arm. The moment loading is generated by pulling on the arm pipe with a long stroke

Mo 2.72 2.71 2.73

Cr* 25.5 25.8 26.3

l Ferrite 34.7 35.6 33.5

21.70 21.95 22.30

Table 2 Characteristics of the machined notches Test I.D. SEM1 SEM2 SEM3 SEM3
a

Notch location Flank Near anka Flank Near anka

Notch orientation Longitudinal Circumferential Longitudinal Circumferential

Length 2c (mm) 210 88 210 88

Max. depth a (mm) 10.5 14.7 10.5 14.7

c /a ratio 10 3 10 3

15 towards extrados.

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157

Fig. 1. Notch location and shape.

Fig. 2. Schematic drawing of the test frame (SEM3 test conguration).

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ram. The bending load was applied at a quasistatic rate, with a displacement rate of the ram at 2 mm min 1. The length of the arm pipe reTable 3 Mechanical properties of the three test materials Material I.D. Test temperature (C) 320 320 60 320 60 60 20 320 60 20

mained constant during the tests because the loading saddle is allowed to slip under the mobile frame.

Youngs modulus (MPa) 176 500 175 500 188 000 188 000 201 000 201 000 204 000 183 000 201 000 204 000

0.2% Offset yield strength (MPa) 258 259.5 321 223 278.4 460

Ultimate tensile strength (MPa) 670 662 743 545

SEM1 cast elbow SEM2 cast elbow SEM3 cast elbow Connecting pipes SEM1 and 2 Connecting pipes SEM3 Flat heads-SEM3 Arm pipe SEM1, 2 and 3 Flange-SEM1 & 2 Flange-SEM3 Loading saddle SEM1, 2 and 3

Fig. 3. True stress-true strain curves for SEM1, SEM2 and SEM3 tests.

P. Se me te et al. / Nuclear Engineering and Design 197 (2000) 155168 Table 4 Charpy energy and toughness properties of the three elbows, after ageing Material I.D. Test temperature (C) 320 320 60 KCV energy (daJ cm2) 2.1 2.4 2.6 J0.2 mean value (kJ m2) 68 51 58.5 C mean value (kJ m2) 97.2 66.6 87.13 n mean value (Da in mm) 0.2497 0.1796 0.2698

159

SEM1 SEM2 SEM3

Fig. 4. Applied load versus ram displacement curves.

For the rst two tests, two connecting pipes were inserted: one between the elbow and the arm pipe and the other one between the elbow and the ange. For the third test, where, in addition to the moment loading, an internal pressure was applied, two at heads were inserted: one between the elbow and the ange (replacing the lower connecting pipe) and the other one between the upper connecting pipe and the arm pipe. The water, inside the elbow, was at rst pressurized up to 15.5 MPa, then the bending moment was applied in the same way as described before.

During the rst two tests, the elbow and the connecting pipes were heated at 320C, while for the third test, the elbow, the at heads, and the connecting pipe were maintained at 60C.

2.3. Material data

The material characterisation programme included chemical analysis, tensile tests, Charpy impact tests and J -resistance curves determined on

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Fig. 5. Electric potential drop versus ram displacement curves (SEM3 test).

1T-CT specimens (thickness: 25 mm). The specimens were manufactured from a straight pipe cast and aged at the same time than the elbow. The chemical composition chosen for the elbows leaded to a severe thermal ageing and low toughness properties. The connecting pipes, the at heads, the arm pipe, the ange, and the loading saddle were made of carbon steel. For the elbows, the connecting pipes and the at heads, conventional tensile properties are given in Table 3 and the corresponding true stress-true strain curves are shown in Fig. 3. For the other components (ange, load-

ing saddle and arm pipe), which remained elastic during the tests, only the Youngs modulus is indicated in Table 3. J-resistance tests (at 320C for SEM1 and 2 and 60C for SEM3) on aged CT specimens gave the values of J0.2 (value of J for 0.2 mm of crack extension) and a power-law t of the J -R curve, J = C (Da )n. For the rst two elbows, three kinds of CT specimens were used: specimens without fatigue-precracking sampled on elbow C -A orientation, specimens without fatigue-precracking with C -R orientation and nally, fatigue-precracked specimens with C -R orientation. It was

Table 5 Main results of the tests Test I.D. Crack initiation Fy (kN) 363/378 336/353 365/391 (Longitudinal notch) 405/426 (Circumferential notch) End of test Fy (kN) 448 483 531 531 End of test moment (kN.m) 2705 2900 3150 3150 End of test Da (mm) 8 12 6.3 (Longitudinal notch) 2.6 (Circumferential notch)

SEM1 SEM2 SEM3 SEM3

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Fig. 6. Final crack shapes (SEM3 test).

not possible to show either notch radius effect or orientation effect because of the wide scatter observed on this type of material. For the third test, specimens without fatigue-precracking with C -A orientation were used. All the specimens were tested by the multiple specimen technique (interrupted tests). A statistical analysis of the data was used to give the results provided in Table 4. The scatter was related to the coarse solidication macrostructure of cast duplex steels.

2.4. Test results

Several measurements were made during the tests. These measurements included applied load, ram displacement, elbow diameter variations (for ovalization), structure rotation (with inclinometers), CMOD in several points along the crack length, and strains in the elbow mid-plane. The direct-current electric potential drop method was used to detect crack initiation and to interrupt the test when a large amount of stable crack growth was reached.

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The machined notches were submitted to tensile stresses due to the applied loading, so that they initiated and grew subsequently by ductile tearing. The nal crack extension reached 8 mm (SEM1 test), 13 mm (SEM2 test), 2.6 mm (SEM3 test, circumferential notch) and 6 mm (SEM3 test, longitudinal notch). For this last test, the longitudinal notch initiated before the circumferential one. Applied load versus ram displacement curves are shown for the three tests in Fig. 4, where F y and U y are respectively the applied load and the displacement of the loading point normal to the moment arm. First two tests curves are very close together, due to the similarity of the stress-strain curves (see Fig. 3). This proves that the effect of the notch on the load versus displacement curve is quite limited. The third test curve is stiffer than the others, because the internal pressure and the at heads limited the ovalization of the elbow and also

because the lower test temperature (60C instead of 320C) increased the elbow stress-strain curve. Fig. 5 shows the evolution of center crack electric potential drop versus ram displacement and the location of the crack initiation point for the SEM3 test. Table 5 summarises the main results of the three tests. The moment is evaluated in the mid-section of the elbow taking into account the moment due to the dead weight of the structure. For the post-test examination of the machined notch, the notch area was cut out from the elbow, then thermally marked, cooled in liquid nitrogen to ensure brittle fracture, and nally broken open. The nal crack shape was determined optically and, because of its irregular geometry, it was recharacterised as a semi-ellipse for the purpose of the analyses. The nal shape of the longitudinal crack of the SEM3 test is shown in Fig. 6 (for SEM1 and SEM2 tests, see Le Delliou et al., 1996).

Fig. 7. View of the nite element mesh (SEM3 test).

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Fig. 8. G versus applied load curves (SEM3 test).

3. Numerical analysis

3.1. Description of the FE models

The aim of the computations was to show their ability to simulate accurately the tests by conducting systematic comparisons between experimental
Table 6 Crack depths used for the calculations Test I.D. SEM1 SEM2 SEM3 (Longitudinal notch) SEM3 (Circumferential notch) Initial depth a (mm) 10.5 14.7 10.5 14.7

and numerical results. These results were related rst to the overall behaviour of the structure (load versus ram displacement curves) and secondly to the local behaviour of the notch (CMOD, crack initiation and crack propagation). The calculations were made with the FE code named Code Aster developed by EDF (Vautier and Billet,

Intermediate growth Da (mm) 4 6 3 1.3 and 2

Final growth Da (mm) 8 12 6 2.6

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1996). This general purpose program is mainly devoted to industrial applications. The meshes of the tested structures were built up using solid elements (15 and 20 node elements) and, in addition for the third test, with shell elements (6 and 8 node elements) on the inner surfaces in order to apply internal pressure. A normal integration scheme was used. The meshes were constructed from a cracked block (see Fig. 7) which was developed for fracture mechanics analyses (global approach). They were particularly rened in the crack area, with 32 elements along the crack front. Due to the small size of the notch, it was assumed that its presence had no inuence on the overall behaviour of the structure (i.e. in terms of load versus displacement curve). This was veried by an elastic-plastic computation of the uncracked structure and by the test results (see previous

paragraph). So the FE model was limited to the half-structure containing the notch (it means that the corresponding full model had, in fact, two symmetrical cracks). The mesh of the SEM3 mock-up included the at heads as shown at the top of Fig. 7. The number of nodes ranged from 12 000 to 16 000 nodes, according to the structure analyzed.

3.2. O6erall beha6iour of the tested structure

In this section, the overall behaviour of the structure was assessed in terms of load versus ram displacement curves. The investigations that were carried out during the rst calculations enabled us to improve the model. We veried than the large displacement formulation gave better results than the small displacement one, because it took into account

Fig. 9. Crack growth analysis (SEM3 test-longitudinal crack).

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Fig. 10. Crack growth analysis (SEM3 test-circumferential crack).

the softening effect due to the elbow ovalization. The dead weight of the moment arm was also included in the loading conditions because its contribution to the moment is signicant (about 160 kN.m). For the third test, the application of internal pressure as a  following load  provided another improvement for the simulation of the overall behaviour. However, in this particular case, the internal pressure and the at heads limited the elbow ovalization so that the small displacement formulation also gave very good results. Finally, as shown in Fig. 4, the agreement between experimental and numerical load versus ram displacement curves is excellent for the three tests.

3.3. Crack initiation e6aluation

The crack initiation evaluation was made by

comparing the materials toughness J0.2 to the curve of the energy release rate G at the deepest point of the crack versus load. The 3-D energy release rate was calculated using the G -Theta method developed by EDF (Destuynder et al., 1981; Wadier and Malak, 1989; Suo and Combescure, 1992). A new method was developed to calculate the energy release rate G in accordance with the  large deformation  option (Mialon and Visse, 1995) and was used for the rst two test computations. For the SEM3 test, G was computed with the small displacement formulation. For the three tests, the crack initiation is either correctly predicted or predicted in a slightly conservative manner using the mean value of the parameter J0.2. Those results are presented in Fig. 8 for the longitudinal and the circumferential

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cracks of SEM3 test; the gures relative to SEM1 and SEM2 can be found in Le Delliou et al. (1996). We can see on Fig. 8 that, until the initiation load is reached, the G value is higher for the longitudinal crack than for the circumferential one. This is quite consistent with the test results where the longitudinal crack actually initiated rst. Formally, this calculation with the initial crack size is no longer valid once the crack begins to propagate, and the curves should not be used beyond this point.

3.4. Crack growth e6aluation

This evaluation is made on a J -Da diagram by comparing the applied-J curves (obtained from the calculations) with the materials J -R curve (obtained on CT specimens). The applied-J curves

were obtained for different levels of loading from calculations of the parameter G made on meshes with different crack depths. For each crack, we choose, besides the initial depth, the nal depth measured at the end of the test and an intermediate value (Table 6). For the rst three cases in Table 6, the material J -R curves were extrapolated beyond 3 mm (which is the validity limit for CT25 specimens) with the power-law t determined within the validity range. For each material, three curves were assessed: a mean curve, a minimun one ( 2| ) and a maximum one ( + 2| ). The results of the crack growth evaluation are shown in Fig. 9 for the longitudinal notch of the SEM3 test and in Fig. 10 for the circumferential one; the gures relative to SEM1 and SEM2 can be found in Le Delliou et al. (1996).

Fig. 11. G versus applied load curves for several crack depths (SEM3 test-longitudinal crack).

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Fig. 12. G versus applied load curves for several crack depths (SEM3 test-circumferential crack).

For the SEM1 test, the numerical prediction was conservative (i.e. the calculated Fy value is lower than the experimental one) with the mean J -R curve and agreed well with the maximum curve. For the SEM2 test, the numerical prediction was very conservative, even with the maximum curve. The reason of this difference between both tests is probably related to the constraint effect on fracture behaviour, the through-wall stress distribution being mostly a bending one for the SEM1 test (like in CT specimens) and a membrane one for the SEM2 test. In the past, the J -R curve was often tacitly regarded as a material property. However, it is well known that this curve shows a signicant geometry dependence of crack growth resistance, which is associated with different levels of crack tip constraint under large scale yielding conditions. This explanation by the constraint effect must remain qualitative, considering the other uncertainties which come from the

scatter of the raw J -R data and the power-law extrapolation of the J -R curve. For both notches of the SEM3 test, the prediction was conservative with the mean J -R curve. As an example, for the circumferential notch, the nal crack propagation of 2.6 mm is obtained for a calculated load Fy (491 kN) lower than the experimental one (531 kN). The curves of G (at the deepest point) versus applied load for different crack depths are shown in Figs. 11 and 12, respectively for the longitudinal and the circumferential notch. These curves are in accordance with the test results where the longitudinal crack grew faster than the circumferential one.

4. Conclusions EDF performed three bending tests on large diameter aged cast duplex stainless steel elbows

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containing either one or two semielliptical notches on the outer surface of the ank. The rst two elbows were loaded under in-plane closure bending while the third elbow was loaded by an in-plane closure bending moment combined with an internal pressure of 15.5 MPa. The tests showed that it was possible to obtain a large amount of stable crack growth (up to 13 mm) despite the low toughness properties of the aged material. Owing to the good efciency of the d-c electric potential method, the crack initiation was accurately detected and the nal crack extension was correctly estimated. The nite element analysis of the three tests simulated accurately the overall behaviour of tested structure and gave in each case a good prediction of the crack initiation. The crack growth analysis was conservative, compared with the experimental results. Three reasons are proposed to explain this fact: the scatter of the J -R data, the extrapolation of J -R curves from standard CT specimens to longer crack extension, and a constraint effect in the ligament. These tests and their detailed analyses contribute to the integrity assessment of cast duplex stainless steel components from the primary circuit of PWR units.

References
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