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The paper presents the results of the application of the refined calculation guidelines to the analysis of the stress-strain state and fracture resistance of the equipment elements of the NPP primary circuit system with WWER reactor, in particular, the cylindrical part and the zone of the reactor pressure vessel inlet nozzle, coolant collector welded joint in a steam generator, baffle, and reactor internals' shaft under the operating and emergency modes of thermomechanical loading. The calculation methodology is based on the use of the modern models and methods of solution to the nonlinear boundary tasks of non-isothermal thermal viscoplasticity and tasks of fracture mechanics using the refined mixed schemes of the finite element method with increased accuracy. They allow one to obtain reliable solutions to the tasks considering the deformation history of thermomechanical loading, modern concepts of fracture mechanics and approaches to the modeling of brittle-viscous fracture defects, irradiation swelling and creep of metal, as well as as the structural elements, under the conditions of elevated temperature, intensive neutron irradiation and nonstationary modes of thermomechanical loading. The authors obtained and analyzed the calculation results for the cylindrical part and zone of the inlet nozzle of the WWER-1000 reactor pressure vessel, coolant collector welded joint in a steam generator, baffle, and reactor internals' shaft using the proposed guidelines. The results imply the possibilities of the proposed recommendations and make it possible to analyze some general tendencies and features of the application of the refined calculation models to justify the strength and life extension of the NPP structural elements under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the basic principles of the most widespread methods for determining typical states of a mode I through crack in specimens and structures of sheet metals that are fractured under conditions close to the plane stress state. The results of experimental investigations are presented which make it possible to judge of the relative advantages and disadvantages of these methods from the standpoint of their possible use in engineering assessments of the integrity and remaining strength of thin-wall structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides some results of the investigation of the influence of stress state type on accumulation of dispersed damages in structural carbon steel sheet under repeated static biaxial tensile loading. It is shown that the lowest damage accumulation ability of the metal is observed under biaxial tension with a biaxiality index ranging between 0.25 and 0.3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture occurs at interface corners due to stress singularity which generates as a result of material discontinuity and geometrical configuration. In elastic stress field near a bimaterial notch tip, eigenvalues extracted from Airy’s stress function approach determine the order of singularity. In this paper, the characteristic equation of elastic stress field near bimaterial notches is investigated. The study is done on singular eigenvalues as well as the first non-singular eigenvalue which has not been well studied before. First, different combination of materials and geometrical configurations for two of the most applicable paths in the Bogy diagram (β = 0, β = α/4) were studied and the results were comprehensively discussed. It was shown that the geometrical and materials configurations near a bimaterial notch tip can significantly affect on the stress singularity near these corners. Finally, the areas between two lines β = 0 and β = α/4 in the Bogy diagram with high stress singularities were determined and discussed for both the first and second singular eigenvalue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the well-known (from available publications) phenomenological strength criteria for anisotropic materials, which are most widely used in application software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses damage accumulation processes that occur during static deformation in steels 45 and 09G2S and in brass L63 in the initial state and upon 'grain annealing.' The authors discuss new experimental evidence on the damage accumulation kinetics during deformation of polycrystalline materials that differ in nature and grain size, including materials in the unloaded state and those under stresses, with small and very small strains (0.05-0.15%). The results obtained have been the necessary physically consistent explanations. Analytical approximations of the correlation between the main mechanical properties of materials (hardness, yield stress, and ultimate strength) and their structure parameters (grain size) are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the dependence of acoustic emission produced in rolled hafnium GFÉ-1 under tensile deformation on the material's structural state. A correlation has been established between the material structure, the level of mechanical properties and the values of acoustic parameters. Acoustic emission in non-recrystallized hafnium under tensile deformation is recorded only at the stages that precede fracture. Upon recrystallization annealing at temperatures of 1123 and 1373 K acoustic emission occurs at all the stages of tensile deformation. The highest level of acoustic emission activity in hafnium is observed during the transition from elastic to elastic-plastic strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a reactor pressure vessel steel 15Kh2MFA(III) experiments and calculations have been carried out to study the factors that have an influence on the increase of the lower-shelf fracture toughness in the temperature dependence diagrams upon warm prestressing. Stereoscopic fractography and numerical investigation have demonstrated that after the warm prestressing the crack tip remains blunt. This reduces the stress singularity during subsequent loading and raises the material fracture toughness. The paper gives the calculated data on residual stresses and crack-tip opening displacement during warm prestressing and upon relief. The calculated results are shown to agree well with the known analytical relations and experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the currently available approaches, applicable codes and standards for assessment of defects in trunk pipelines and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the National pipeline regulations. The paper outlines the main principles of the newly introduced normative document that regulates the assessment of strength and remaining life of pipelines containing service defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the use of small-sized specimens of various types, including those with deep (50%) side grooves, for the purpose of fracture toughness prediction. The experimental data for numerous (more than 500) small-sized specimens prepared from materials of various degrees of embrittlement are compared to the test results for full-sized specimens of C(T) type. The concepts of Master Curve and Unified Curve are applied for the processing of experimental data. To handle the test results for small-sized deep-grooved specimens a calculation procedure has been elaborated, which adjusts the calculation method specified in the ASTM Standard E 1921. We provide recommendations of how to use precracked Charpy type deep-grooved (50%) specimens for prediction of a representative temperature dependence of fracture toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the application of the dual boundary element method for the determination of stress intensity factors in plate bending problems. The loadings considered include internal pressure, and also combined bending and tension. Mixed mode stress intensity factors are evaluated by a crack surface displacement extrapolation technique and the J-integral technique. The boundary element results for the case studies considered in the paper have been compared with either analytical or finite element results and in all cases good agreement has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper gives the research findings which make it possible to construct an algorithm for the residual life assessment within the framework of a tensor approach to describing damage in a material under inelastic deformation. The authors propose explicit finite criterial relationships for the residual life assessment, which extend the known relationships to cover a wider range of loading processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers methods of accelerated determination of endurance limits of metals and alloys based on the analysis of regularities in their inelastic deformation, strain and energy criteria of fatigue fracture, and methods for life prediction with the use of those criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers interrelation between the regularities in the fatigue fracture and inelastic deformation taking into account the material properties, stress gradient and concentration, specimen size, load cycle asymmetry, complex stress state, temperature, loading frequency and conditions, scatter of the test results. Analysis of the data from the literature and results of original investigations has shown that the characteristics of inelasticity, which define nonlocalized fatigue damage, can be used in studies of general regularities of the high-cycle fatigue fracture. Specific results of such analysis are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]