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The magnetic properties of A533B low alloy steel irradiated up to 3 x 1023 n/m2 in a nuclear reactor were measured using a SQUID sensor. The SQUID sensor used in the test is the type with a first-order axial gradiometer. Test specimens were irradiated to 0.5 x 1023 and 3.0 x 1023 n/m2, and then magnetized in a 0.2 T field until saturation before measurement. The specimens were put on a scanning table in a hot laboratory and the SQUID output was recorded while each specimen was gradually moved in a horizontal direction under the SQUID sensor. A superconducting magnet was used to put the test specimen under a magnetic field that changed from +0.01 T to -0.01 T to observe the relation between magnetic field intensity and coercive force (B-H curve). The B-H curve shows a definite tendency towards a higher coercive force for test specimens with higher neutron fluence. The test result also shows a good relation between mechanical properties, such as yield strength, tensile strength, and the Charpy impact test result, with SQUID output. This proves that there is a very good chance of developing a non-destructive evaluation system for nuclear reactor structure. This kind of evaluation system would be a great help in making plant life management even more reliable and reasonable.

The effect of shot peening (SP) on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) prevention was evaluated from the viewpoints of crack initiation and propagation. It was found that the residual stress in a Type-304 stainless-steel specimen is changed-from tensile of 300MPa to compressive of -800MPa-by shot peening, and the effective SP depth is 0.35mm. It was also found that the crack initiation and propagation were prevented by shot peening. The mechanism by which the shot peening prevents these phenomena is explained according to the theory of superposition and loading history. That is, the prevention of crack initiation and propagation results from the fact that the compressive residual stress caused by SP decreases the applied load on the crack surface and prevents rupturing of the oxide film on the surface. Moreover, the effects of SCC prevention were shown to be valid when cyclic loading is applied after peening.

We developed the new method for predicting a region of compressive residual stress on the weld surface after water jet peeing (WJP), which is a preventive maintenance technology for nuclear power plants. A cavitating jet is impinged on the weld surfaces of structures in a nuclear reactor. Bubble collapse impact causes plastic deformation of the weld surface, and changes the residual stress from tensile to compressive. Compressive residual stress prevents the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) on the weld surface. A cavitating jet vertically injected into a submerged flat plate was investigated. Tensile stress was introduced onto the surface of the stainless steel plate by grinding before WJP in the experiment. We numerically simulated impulsive bubble pressure that varied by microseconds in the cavitating jet with the “bubble flow model”. The bubble flow model simulates the abrupt time-variations in the radius and inner pressure of bubbles based on the Rayleigh-Plesset equation in a cavitating flow. The cavitation collapse energy was estimated based on the bubble pressure. The cavitation collapse energy was compared with the measured compressive residual stress on the flat plate after WJP. The radial range of the compressive residual stress from the jet center axis is one of the most important measures of performance of WJP. The radial range of the cavitation collapse energy corresponded to that of compressive residual stress with a prediction error of +/− 20% under different conditions of jet velocity and the distance between the jet nozzle and plate surface. The results confirmed that the method we developed for predicting the region of compressive residual stress after WJP was valid.

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