Biaxial Residual Stress Mapping in a PWR Dissimilar Metal Weld

This paper describes a sequence of residual stress measurements made to determine a two-dimensional map of biaxial residual stress in a dissimilar metal welded nozzle typical of a nuclear pressurized water reactor (PWR). The present experimental work follows on the numerical analysis reported earlier, in PVP2012-78885. The measurement subject is a cylindrical nozzle, removed from a PWR pressure vessel, having a nickel alloy weld joining a stainless steel safe end to a low-alloy steel vessel. Biaxial residual stress was determined in a series of experimental steps using strain gage measurements, the contour method, and slitting. Confirmatory measurements were also performed (including digital image correlation and neutron diffraction). The paper includes descriptions of the experimental steps, data reduction, and residual stress results, along with a comparison between measurements and output from a weld simulation. The measured hoop stress in the weld region is tensile near the OD (300 MPa) and compressive near the ID (−400 MPa); the measured axial stress is tensile near the OD (150 MPa) and compressive near the ID (−150 MPa).