GROWTH OF SEMI‐ELLIPTICAL SURFACE CRACKS IN FERRITIC STEEL PLATES UNDER CYCLIC THERMAL SHOCK LOADING

— Investigations of crack growth under thermal fatigue loading are presented. The experiments were performed with a ferritic reactor pressure vessel steel. A plate, containing a semi-elliptical surface crack is heated up to a homogeneous temperature and cyclically cooled down by a jet of cold water. On the basis of linear elastic fracture mechanics, stress-intensity factors are calculated with the weight function method. The prediction of crack growth under thermal fatigue loading using data from standard specimens is compared with the experimental result.