ABSTRACT
To evaluate the aging effect of the steel liner on the nuclear containment structure, uniaxial tensile tests are conducted on 36 steel liner specimens with 0% to 50% corrosion rate. The corrosion effect on the degradation of the mechanical properties of the steel liner is investigated. Based on the experimental results, the stress-strain model of the corroded steel liner is established, and a corrosion simulation method for the steel liner is proposed. Combined with the finite element method, the effect of steel liner corrosion on the leak-tightness of the containment is evaluated. Finally, the proposed corrosion simulation method is compared to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) method, and recommendations for the corrosion factor in the NRC method are made.
