Electromagnetic characterization of material degradation due to neutron irradiation

Issue title: Special Volume: Proceedings of the eleventh International Symposium on Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics ISEM-Versailles ISEM 03

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Dobmann, Gerd^{a; *} | Kopp, Melanie^a

Affiliations: [a] Fraunhofer-Institut Zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren, 66123 Saarbrücken, University building 37, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: dobmann@izfp.fhg.de

Abstract: Most of the materials used in practice show degradation due to fatigue, i.e. cyclic loading. Very often other degradation mechanisms like corrosion and in the high temperature regime also creep are superimposed. In the primary circuit of nuclear power plants the material is additionally exposed to neutron irradiation. According to the licensing conditions the main focus is on the pressure vessel material. The contribution describes measurement results collected at surveillance programme specimen of different nuclear power plants in different European countries. The set of Charpy specimen was measured in the hot cell of the research reactor in Petten in the Netherlands. Electromagnetic non-destructive testing techniques were applied for characterization.

Keywords: neutron degradation, pressure vessel material, surveillance programme specimens, charpy impact test, fracture appearance transition temperature, charpy-notch-impact energy, micro-magnetic testing, micro-magnetic multiple parameter microstructure and stress analysis

DOI: 10.3233/JAE-2004-649

Journal: International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, vol. 19, no. 1-4, pp. 673-677, 2004