No abstract

A new approach that utilizes the information fusion technique was developed to predict the radiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. The Charpy transition temperature-shift data is used as the primary index of the RPV radiation embrittlement in this study. Six parameters, Cu, Ni, P, neutron fluence, irradiation time, and irradiation temperature are used in the embrittlement prediction models. The results indicate that this new embrittlement predictor achieved about 66% and 53% reductions, respectively, in the uncertainties for the update General Electric (GE) Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) plate and weld data compared to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulatory Guide 1.99, Rev. 2 (RG1.99/R2). The implications of irradiation temperature effects for the development of radiation embrittlement models are also discussed.

A new approach of utilizing information fusion technique is developed to predict the radiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steels. The Charpy transition temperature shift data contained in the Power Reactor Embrittlement Database is used in this study. Six parameters—Cu, Ni, P, neutron fluence, irradiation time, and irradiation temperature—are used in the embrittlement prediction models. The results indicate that this new embrittlement predictor achieved reductions of about 49.5 % and 52 % in the uncertainties for plate and weld data, respectively, for pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor data, compared with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 1.99, Rev. 2. The implications of dose-rate effect and irradiation temperature effects for the development of radiation embrittlement models are also discussed.

The information fusion technique is used to develop radiation embrittlement prediction models for reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels from U.S. power reactors, including boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors. The Charpy transition temperature-shift data is used as the primary index of RPV radiation embrittlement in this study. Six parameters—Cu, Ni, P, neutron fluence, irradiation time, and irradiation temperature—are used in the embrittlement prediction models. The results indicate that this new embrittlement predictor achieved reductions of about 49.5% and 52% in the uncertainties for plate and weld data, respectively, for pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor data, compared with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 1.99, Rev. 2. The implications of dose-rate effect and irradiation temperature effects for the development of radiation embrittlement models are also discussed.