Stacking sequence design is a combinatorial problem when the fiber orientations in each layer are restricted to certain angles. In addition, there often exist many optimal or nearoptimal designs for the stacking sequence of a composite pressure vessel under different loading conditions. Genetic algorithms are quite well suited for finding the optimal designs for such a combinatorial problem. In this thesis, a genetic algorithm code is developed in Matlab, optimizing the stacking sequence of a composite pressure vessel subjected to internal and external pressures, axial load and body force due to rotation. For testing of the code and identification of the effects of optimization parameters, a problem, whose optimum solution is obvious, is defined and the optimum design is tried to be found by using the developed code. The results have shown that the code was quite successful in finding the best design. Afterwards, the code is used for the optimization of the stacking sequence of a composite pressure vessel under different loading conditions. Again the code has proven its reliability in finding the optimal designs. The developed genetic algorithm optimization code also has the infrastructure to be easily adapted to the solution of different combinatorial problems.

In dieser Arbeit wurde die durch Bestrahlung mit schnellen Neutronen bedingte Materialalterung von Reaktordruckbehälterstählen untersucht. Das Probenmaterial umfasste unbestrahlte, bestrahlte und ausgeheilte RDB-Stähle russischer und westlicher Reaktoren sowie Eisenbasis-Modelllegierungen. Mittels Neutronen-Kleinwinkelstreuung ließen sich bestrahlungsinduzierte Leerstellen/Fremdatom-Cluster unterschiedlicher Zusammensetzung mit mittlerem Radius um 1.0 nm nachweisen. Ihr Volumenanteil steigt mit der Strahlenbelastung monoton, aber im allgemeinen nicht linear an. Der Einfluss der Elemente Cu, Ni und P auf den Prozess der Clusterbildung konnte herausgearbeitet werden. Eine Wärmebehandlung oberhalb der Bestrahlungstemperatur reduziert den Anteil der Strahlendefekte bis hin zu deren vollständiger Auflösung. Die Änderungen der mechanischen Eigenschaften der Werkstoffe lassen sich eindeutig auf die beobachteten Gefügemodifikationen zurückführen. Die abgeleiteten Korrelationen können als Hilfsmittel zur Vorhersage des Materialverhaltens bei fortgeschrittener Betriebsdauer von Leistungsreaktoren mit herangezogen werden.

Considering the unlikely core melt down scenario for a light water reactor (LWR) a possible failure mode of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and its failure time has to be investigated for a determination of the loadings on the containment. Worldwide several experiments have been performed accompanied with material properties evaluation, theoretical, and numerical work. At the Institute of Safety Research of the FZR a finite element model has been de-veloped simulating the thermal processes and the viscoplastic behaviour of the ves-sel wall. An advanced model for creep and material damage has been established and has been validated using experimental data. The thermal and the mechanical calculations are sequentially and recursively coupled. The model is capable of evalu-ating fracture time and fracture position of a vessel with an internally heated melt pool. The model was applied to pre- and post test calculations for the FOREVER test se-ries representing the lower head RPV of a PWR in the geometrical scale of 1:10. These experiments were performed at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stock-holm. The results of the calculations can be summarised as follows: # The creeping process is caused by the simultaneous presence of high tem-perature (>600 °C) and pressure (>1 MPa) # The hot focus region is the most endangered zone exhibiting the highest creep strain rates. # The exact level of temperature and pressure has an influence on the vessel failure time but not on the failure position # The failure time can be predicted with an uncertainty of 20 to 25%. This uncer-tainty is caused by the large scatter and the high temperature sensitivity of the viscoplastic properties of the RPV steel. # Contrary to the hot focus region, the lower centre of the vessel head exhibits a higher strength because of the lower temperatures in this zone. The lower part moves down without significant deformation. Therefore it can be assumed, that the vessel failure can be retarded or prevented by supporting this range. # The development of a gap between melt crust and vessel wall could not be proofed. First calculations for a PWR geometry were performed to work out differences and commonalities between prototypic scenarios and scaled experiments. The results of the FOREVER-experiments cannot be transferred directly to PWR geometry. The geometrical, mechanical and thermal relations cannot be scaled in the same way. Because of the significantly higher temperature level, a partial ablation of the vessel wall has to be to expected in the PWR scenario, which is not the case in the FOREVER tests. But nevertheless the FOREVER tests are the only integral in-vessel retention experiments up to now and they led to a number of important insights about the behaviour of a vessel under the loading of a melt pool and pressure.

The investigation of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material from the decommissioned Greifswald nuclear power plant representing the first generation of Russian-type WWER-440/V-230 reactors offers the opportunity to evaluate the real toughness response. The Greifswald RPVs of 4 units represent different material conditions as follows: • Irradiated (Unit 4), • irradiated and recovery annealed (Units 2 and 3), and • irradiated, recovery annealed and re-irradiated (Unit1). The recovery annealing of the RPV was performed at a temperature of 475° for about 152 hours and included a region covering ±0.70 m above and below the core beltline welding seam. Material samples of a diameter of 119 mm called trepans were extracted from the RPV walls. The research program is focused on the characterisation of the RPV steels (base and weld metal) across the thickness of the RPV wall. This report presents test results measured on the trepans from the beltline welding seam No. SN0.1.4. and forged base metal ring No. 0.3.1. of the Units 1 2 and 4 RPVs. The key part of the testing is focussed on the determination of the reference temperature T0 of the Master Curve (MC) approach following the ASTM standard E1921 to determine the facture toughness, and how it degrades under neutron irradiation and is recovered by thermal annealing. Other than that the mentioned test results include Charpy-V and tensile test results. Following results have been determined: • The mitigation of the neutron embrittlement of the weld and base metal by recovery annealing could be confirmed. • KJc values of the weld metals generally followed the course of the MC though with a large scatter. • There was a large variation in the T0 values evaluated across the thickness of the multilayered welding seams. • The T0 measured on T-S oriented SE(B) specimens from different thickness locations of the welding seams strongly depended on the intrinsic structure along the crack front. • The reference temperature RT0 determined according to the “Unified Procedure for Lifetime Assessment of Components and Piping in WWER NPPs - VERLIFE” and the fracture toughness lower bound curve based thereon are applicable on the investigated weld metals. • A strong scatter of the fracture toughness KJc values of the recovery annealed and re-irradiated and the irradiated base metal of Unit 1 and 4, respectively is observed with clearly more than 2% of the values below the MC for 2% fracture probability. The application of the multimodal MC-based approach was more suitable and described the temperature dependence of the KJc values in a satisfactory manner. • It was demonstrated that T0 evaluated according to the SINTAP MC extension represented the brittle fraction of the data sets and is therefore suitable for the nonhomogeneous base metal. • The efficiency of the large-scale thermal annealing of the Greifswald WWER 440/V230 Unit 1 and 2 RPVs could be confirmed.

[pt] O presente trabalho tem por objetivo o estudo de tensões críticas em bocais cilíndricos soldados a vasos de pressão, também cilíndricos, com tampas de geometria cônica submetidos a pressão interna e a um carregamento axial externo. O problema é atacado analiticamente através da teoria de cascas de revolução, particularizada para cascas finas axissimétricas. É utilizado o método de flexibilidade para imposição da continuidade dos esforços e deslocamentos nas junções bocal/tampa e tampa/vaso. Foi desenvolvido um programa de computador que fornece as tensões máximas que ocorrem no bocal, bem como as resultantes de tensão, momentos, deslocamentos e rotações ao longo da estrutura. Observou-se que para uma dada configuração do sistema (diâmetros do bocal e vaso, e ângulos da tampa cônica) existe uma relação ótima entre as espessuras do bocal e da tampa, para a qual o fator de concentração de tensões é mínimo. Esta relação é independente da rasão entre os carregamentos axial e a pressão. / [en] The present work is concerned whit critical stresses due to the combined affect of axial loads and intornal pressure in nossles welded to cilindrical pressure vessels whit conical hoads. The problem is treatod analytically through, axisimetric, thin ahell theory. The method of flexibility is employed to enforce the continuity of loads, moments, displacements and rotations at the junctions. A computer code has been developed for the calculation of the critical atresses in the nozzle, as well as the stresses resultants, moments, displacements, and the rotations along the atracture. It has been observed that for a griven configuration (nozzle and vessel diameters and angle of the conical head), there is an optimum between the nozzle and head thickness for which the stress concentration factor is minimum. This ratio is independent of the relation between the axial hoad and internal pressure.

[pt] Neste trabalho, apresenta-se uma nova proposta para forma de bocais radicais de vasos esféricos tal que as tensões de flexão devidas a um carregamento axial sejam as mínimas possíveis. Investigam-se os esforços de flexão oriundos da compatibilização entre o bocal e o vaso utilizando a técnina dos elementos finitos com um elemento curvílineo com três nós e um campo de deslocamentos com quatro variáveis. Obtem-se, também, a distribuição de tensões proveniente da pressão interna para o bocal ótimo para esforço axial. Considera-se a união tubulação-vaso esférico com espessuras diferentes utilizando um local com a mesma forma de meridiano dos bocais ótimos, tendo, porém, espessura de parede variável. Tendo como objetivo a comparação com os bocais ótimos, anali sam-se, também, os bocais tradicionais. A nova geometria mostrou-se, para os casos usuais de carga, superior á convecional, no que se refere aos níveis de tensão alcançados. / [en] A new shape of radial nozzles for spherical shells is presented in this paper. The geometry is obtained imposing a bending-free condition for the transition between a cylinder and sheperical shell. The soltion is exact for ideal boundary conditions, and under the action of axisymetric axial load. In order to examine the load effects introduced by the spherical an cylindrical shells at the ends of the nozzle, it was performed a stress analysis of the whole structure, using the finite element technique with a curvilinear element. Two load cases were considered: axial load and internal pressure, for constant thickness nozzles and nozzles with variable thickness, the results were compared with the stress distribuition for a conventional nozzle under the same loading conditions. The new geometry proved to be superior as compared with the conventional one as far a stress instensities are taken into account, for the usual loading conditions.

[pt] Neste trabalho são estudados diferentes tipos de estruturas sujeitas a carregamentos térmicos e sob condições de apoio distintas, com o objetivo de analisar o mecanismo de Thermical Ratchet. Tal fenômeno é previsto no aspecto de segurança de usinas nucleares, uma vez que vasos de pressão e tubulações podem sofrer deformações permanentes devido a diferenças térmicas. Um primeiro modelo estuda o comportamento de um conjunto de dois tubos ligados por suas extremidades e sujeitos a variações lineares de temperatura ao longo de suas seções transversais. Também são determinadas condições para que ocorra acúmulo de deformações plásticas. O terceiro modelo simula um vaso cilíndrico livre ou ligado à um flange a variações térmicas lineares na espessura, através do estudo de vigas sobre base elástica. Neste caso não se admite a estrutura sofrendo ciclos de temperatura e apenas o comportamento para o caso de aquecimento ou resfriamento é estudado. / [en] Different types of structures submitted to thermal loadings under different conditions of support are studied in this work, with the purpose of analysing the thermal Ratchet Mechanism. This phenomena is na important criteria of safety of nuclear power systems. A first model was used to simulate the bahavior of a structure free of bending, submitted to temperature fluctuation. The conditions for Ratcheting are determined. A second model was used to simulate the behavior of two tubes joinned at theirs ends, and submitted to a linear profile of temperature in its cross-section. A third model was used to beams on elastic foundation. This may be used to simulate the behavior of a cilindrical vessels submitted to thermal loadings.

O planeta Terra tem aproximadamente três quartos submersos em água, ainda assim, estima-se que somente são conhecidos 5% dos mares e oceanos. Nas últimas décadas, os AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) se converteram em uma ferramenta útil para a exploração dos oceanos por levar a bordo vários equipamentos com um relativo baixo custo de operação. A parte estrutural dos AUVs, usualmente cascas cilíndricas, tem sido estudada. De modo geral, os objetivos desses estudos visam a manter a rigidez e deixar a estrutura mais leve, sob o critério de resistência a flambagem. A falha por flambagem, normalmente, ocorre antes da falha por resistência do material em cascas devido à sua geometria e à influência de imperfeições iniciais. Uma forma de aumentar a rigidez das cascas é o uso de enrijecedores, os quais geralmente são soldados à casca. No entanto, o uso desses enrijecedores em um veículo de pequeno porte diminui o espaço utilizados por diferentes dispositivos e instrumentos do veículo, além de resultar em possíveis inconvenientes na fabricação, tais como aumento do custo e produção de tensões residuais relativas aos processos de soldagem. Portanto, alternativas ao enrijecedor convencional devem ser buscadas para esse tipo de veículo. É possível substituir os enrijecedores convencionais por uma estrutura interna ao vaso de pressão e comum em submersíveis, a prateleira de acomodação da eletrônica. Essa estrutura, chamada aqui de enrijecedores deslizantes, possui cavernas circunferenciais que podem fornecer rigidez à casca e evitar os inconvenientes de redução de volume e de fabricação que os enrijecedores convencionais trazem. No entanto, tal substituição para o aumento de rigidez ainda não foi analisada. Portanto, neste trabalho se propõe analisar o comportamento do enrijecedor deslizante quando utilizado em substituição ao enrijecedor convencional, considerando que ambos fornecem resistência à compressão embora não apresentem as mesmas restrições de graus de liberdade. A análise é feita através de métodos analíticos e numéricos, tipicamente utilizados no estudo de enrijecedores convencionais. / The planet Earth has about three quarters of water, yet it is estimated that only 5% of the seas and oceans are known. In the last decades, the AUVs have become useful tools for the exploration of the oceans by carrying on board several equipment with a relative low cost of operation. The structural part of the AUV\'s, usually cylindrical shells, has been studied as well. In general, the objectives of these studies are to maintain rigidity and to leave the structure lighter, under the criterion of buckling resistance. The buckling failure occurs prior to failure by yielding due to its geometry and the influence of initial shell imperfections. One way to increase the stiffness of the shells is to use stiffeners, which are usually welded to the shell. However, the use of these stiffeners in a small vehicle reduces the space used for different devices and instruments of the vehicle, in addition there are manufacturing drawbacks as residual stresses related to the welding processes. Therefore, alternatives to the conventional stiffener should be sought for this type of vehicle. It is possible to replace conventional stiffeners by an internal structure to the pressure vessel and common in submersibles, the shelf of accommodation of the electronics. This structure, referred to here as sliding stiffeners, has circumferential frame bulkheads that can provide stiffness to the shell and avoid the drawbacks of volume reduction and fabrication that conventional stiffeners bring. However, such substitution for increased rigidity has not yet been analyzed. Therefore, in this work it is proposed to analyze the behavior of the sliding stiffeners when used in substitution of the conventional stiffeners, considering that both provide compressive strength although they do not present the same restrictions of degrees of freedom. The analysis is done by analytical and numerical methods, typical of conventional stiffeners.

Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPV) are manufactured from medium strength low alloy ferritic steel, specifically selected for its high toughness and good weldability. The ability of the RPV material to resist crack growth is crucial given that it is one of the fundamental containment safety systems of nuclear power plants. For most of their lifetime, the RPV operates at sufficiently elevated temperatures to ensure the material is ductile. However, the development of ductile damage, in the form of voids, and the ability to predict ductile tearing in RPV materials using a mechanistically-based model remains difficult. The Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model of ductile tearing provides one such tool for predicting ductile damage development in RPV materials. The difficulty in using the GTN model lies in the ability to calibrate the model parameters in a robust manner. The parameters are typically calibrated data, derived from fracture tests and relying on an iterative “trial and error” procedure of numerical simulations and comparison with test data until the model reproduces the experimental behaviour with sufficient accuracy. This research has addressed the development of a mechanistically-based approach to the calibration of the GTN model by developing a new understanding of the ductile fracture mechanism in RPV material through conventional metallography and 3D X-ray computed tomography to image the initiation, growth and coalescence of ductile voids. The metallographic and tomographic data were analysed in a quantitative manner to establish a direct link between the microstructural features and void evolution and the key parameters of the GTN model. This approach has established a more robust mechanistically based method for the calibration of the GTN model that will enhance the conventional iterative calibration procedure. The calibrated model was applied to predict ductile tearing behaviour in compact-tension and notched-tensile specimens. The results showed good agreement with test data and also reproduced the morphology and branching of crack extension observed in practise. Whilst these observations were due, in part, to the numerical solving procedure, they enabled new insights to be gained regarding the development of non-uniform void volume fraction distributions in tested specimensThe results from this research will strengthen the guidance provided to structural integrity engineers in industry regarding the calibration and application of ductile damage mechanics models such as the GTN model for predicting ductile initiation and growth in RPV materials.

Målet med detta examensarbete var att utforma ett koncept för friktionsmätning i trycksatt ångmiljö mellan materialparen trä/metall och metall/metall. Krav på konstruktionen var att hastigheten skulle kunna regleras mellan 0-100 meter per sekund under sex bars övertryck i 100 % luftfuktighet vid temperatur upptill 180 grader Celsius till uppdragsgivaren Mittuniversitetet i Sundsvall. Arbetets utförande redovisas i denna rapport, målet är att utforma ett koncept, utforma en 3D modell av konceptet, utföra hållfasthetsberäkning som stöder att konceptet kan utstå specificerad belastning och undersöka om formförändringar av trycksatts anordning har en inverkan på de spänningar som uppstår. För att uppnå målet att utforma ett koncept användes en designprocess innehållande funktionsanalys, idégenerering enligt brainstorming och konceptutvärdering med beslutsmatris som resulterade i ett koncept för friktionsmätning där vissa komponenter definierades med krav och dimensionering av drivlina utfördes med programmet Gates Design flex Pro. Som metod för att konstruera en 3D-modell användes programmet Solidworks, för att undersöka konceptets hållfasthet utfördes dimensionering till en början med beräkningsprogrammet Matlab där materialet EN 1.4571 användes, därefter utfördes simuleringar med Solidworks för att undersöka egenfrekvenser hos utvalda komponenter av konstruktionen och hållfasthetsberäkningar. Hållfasthetsberäkningarna och undersökning av inverkan av formförändringar av inre hörn utfördes i Solidworks där tryck och temperatur tillsattes på tryckkärlets insida. Resultatet var att konceptet inte riskerar att hamna i egenfrekvens, konceptet kan i teorin producera hastigheten 101,64 meter per sekund. Maximal spänning enligt beräkningar i Matlab var 40,02 MPa, motsvarande värde vid simulering i Solidworks var 38,16 MPa. Vid undersökning av formförändring av inre hörn hos trycksatt anordning blev resultatet att en radie på 25 millimeter vid de inre hörnen hos tryckkärl gav en spänningsreducering på 29,5% och en minskning av utböjning med 12.5%. Projektet har lyckats med att uppfylla sina mål och kan i teorin producera den hastighet som efterfrågades, utstå de förhållanden som efterfrågas och utföra friktionstest med både materialen metall och trä.