Investigation for Stress Intensity Factor Solutions on Nozzle Corner Crack

In order to provide a stress intensity factor (K)-solution for a nozzle corner flaw subjected to inner pressure in the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) Codes for Rules on Fitness for Service (FFS) for nuclear power generation facilities, the existing K-solutions were investigated to confirm their applicability. Three selected K-solutions, which are the Fife’s solution, the Kobayashi’s solution and the solution of a flat plate with a semi-elliptical surface flaw in the JSME Rules on FFS, were compared by using stress distributions on a nozzle corner subjected to inner pressure. As a result, the Fife’s solution of no rounded nozzle corner and the flat plate solution have been chosen for K calculation of a nozzle corner flaw in the JSME Rules on FFS.