Abstract
Fracture assessment method for piping of BWR reactor internal with circumferential crack is described in JSME Code, Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants 2004 Edition. In this code, limit load is calculated assuming a/t=1 for through wall crack. It has been expected to demonstrate the adequacy of this equation experimentally. Furthermore, the crack plane in weld HAZ of core spray sparger between header and pipe is not straight and has some curvature. The fracture tests were conducted for pipe with circumferential through wall crack between header and pipe to demonstrate the applicability of current JSME method. Limit load analyses by FEM were also conducted. It was confirmed that the limit load equation in the current JSME Code is possible to apply to the pipe with circumferential through wall crack even if the crack plane was curved along the weld between header and sparger pipe.
