Estimation Of Brittle Fracture Behavior Of Sa508 Carbon Steel By Considering Temperature Dependence Of Damage Model

The aim of this study was to determine the brittle fracture behavior of reactor pressure vessel steel by considering the temperature dependence of a damage model. A multi-island genetic algorithm was linked to a Weibull stress model, which is the model typically used for brittle fracture evaluation, to improve the calibration procedure. The improved calibration procedure and fracture toughness test data for SA508 carbon steel at the temperatures -60 degrees C, -80 degrees C, and -100 degrees C were used to decide the damage parameters required for the brittle fracture evaluation. The model was found to show temperature dependence, similar to the case of NUREG/CR-6930. Finally, on the basis of the quantification of the difference between 2- and 3-parameter Weibull stress models, an engineering equation that can help obtain more realistic fracture behavior by using the simpler 2-parameter Weibull stress model was proposed.