Void swelling of PWR austenitic internals has recently been identified as a materials issue that might impact license extension. Earlier published studies have shown that the atomic displacement rate is unexpectedly one of the most important variables that determine the magnitude of swelling. In addition to differences in neutron spectra, light water reactors operate at displacement rates that are significantly lower than those of typical fast reactors, leading to considerable uncertainty in the extrapolation of fast reactor data to light water reactor conditions. This paper presents new data derived from irradiations conducted on Russian austenitic steels irradiated in a variety of Russian reactors. These data support the conclusion that lowering the dpa rate in general accelerates the onset of swelling in austenitic steels.
Revised: November 10, 2005 |
Published: August 1, 2004
Citation
Garner F.A., N.I. Budylkin, Y.V. Konobeev, S.I. Porollo, V.S. Neustroev, V.K. Shamardin, and A.V. Kozlov. 2004.The Influence of DPA Rate on Void Swelling of Russian Austenitic Stainless Steels. In 11th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, 82. La Grange Park, Illinois:American Nuclear Society. PNWD-SA-6198.