Assessment of Structural Integrity on Irradiated Steel Structure: Focusing on Long Column Type Reactor Pressure Vessel Supports

The structural steel in a nuclear facility experiences significant degradation due to the accumulated neutron irradiation. Particularly, the long-column type reactor pressure vessel supports have been focused since they resist considerable loading to maintain the primary coolant system in their position and experience high neutron irradiation in low temperature, which is an unfavorable condition for the fracture toughness. This study implemented the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, fitness-for-service (FFS) method to consider both irradiated mechanical properties and multiple loading cases. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of long column type reactor pressure vessel support was built for the linear analysis. The metallurgical properties of reactor pressure vessel support for assessment were estimated by empirical equations. This study provides the structural margin of long-column type reactor pressure vessel support by levels of the loads and levels of the neutron fluence.