Theoretical models of threshold stress intensity factor and critical hydride length for delayed hydride cracking considering thermal stresses
Theoretical models of threshold stress intensity factor and critical hydride length for delayed hydride cracking considering thermal stresses
The research results for radial cracking cases indicate that a better agreement for KIH can be achieved; the negative axial thermal stresses can lessen KIH and enlarge the critical hydride length, so its effect should be considered in the safety evaluation and constraint design for fuel rods; the critical hydride length lC changes slightly in a certain range of stress intensity factors, which interprets the phenomenon that the DHC velocity varies slowly in the steady crack growth stage.