Methods for incorporating the effects of LWR coolant environments in pressure vessel and piping fatigue evaluations.

This paper summarizes the work performed at Argonne National Laboratory on the fatigue of piping and pressure vessel steels in the coolant environments of light water reactors. The existing fatigue strain vs. life ({var_epsilon}-N) data were evaluated to establish the effects of various material and loading variables, such as steel type, strain range, strain rate, temperature, and dissolved-oxygen level in water, on the fatigue lives of these steels. Statistical models are presented for estimating the fatigue {var_epsilon}-N curves for carbon and low-alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels as a function of material, loading, and environment variables. Case studies of fatigue failures in nuclear power plants are presented, and the contribution of environmental effects to crack initiation is discussed. Methods for incorporating environmental effects into the ASME Code fatigue evaluations are discussed. Data available in the literature have been reviewed to evaluate the possible conservatism in the existing fatigue design curves of the ASME Code