Model Experiments for Thermal Shock Fracture Behavior

Thermal shock fracture tests with specimens of simple geometry (plate and hollow cylinder) made from an appropriate model material, glass, were performed to investigate the behavior of cracks under transient thermal loads. The experimental results are compared to theoretical/numerical calculations based on a linear elastic analysis. The fracture mechanics approach used for safety evaluations, for instance in case of emergency core cooling in a reactor plant, is further substantiated.