Assessment of Irradiation Embrittlement Effect on Fatigue Life of a Pressurized Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Using the Fracture Toughness Master Curve Approach
The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is a critical structural component in pressurized-water reactors, and it is designed to withstand extreme conditions, such as high pressures, elevated temperatures, and prolonged radiation exposure. Ensuring RPV integrity is essential for the safe and reliable long-term operation of nuclear power plants, especially as aging mechanisms such as fatigue and […]
Fitness-for-Service Analysis of Reactor Components under Flexible Load-Following Operating Conditions
Conventional power-generation plants, including nuclear plants, have been traditionally designed to provide a steady baseload energy capacity, optimizing output efficiency while minimizing variable costs. However, the growing adoption of large-scale renewable energy-generation systems, which rely on intermittent sources such as solar and wind, has introduced more variability into the energy supply in interconnected electricity grids. […]