Acoustic Emission Monitoring of ASME Section III Hydrostatic Test: Watts Bar Unit 1 Nuclear Reactor
Through the cooperation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Pacific Northwest Laboratory has installed instrumentation on Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 for the purpose of test and evaluation of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring of nuclear reactor pressure vessels and piping for flaw detection. This report describes the acoustic emission monitoring performed during the ASME Section III hydrostatic testing of Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 and the results obtained. Highlights of the results are: • Spontaneous AE was detected from a nozzle area during final pressurization. • Evaluation of the apparent source of the spontaneous AE using an empirically derived AE/fracture mechanics relationship agreed within a factor of two with an evaluation by ASME Section XI Code procedures. • AE was detected from a fracture specimen which was pressure coupled to the 10-inch accumulator nozzle. This provided reassurance of adequate system sensitivity. • High background noise was observed when all four reactor coolant pumps were operating. Work is continuing at Watts Bar Unit 1 toward AE monitoring hot functional testing and subsequently monitoring during reactor operation.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC06-76RL0-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 1127344
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-4307; NUREG/CR-2880
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Acoustic emission monitoring of hot functional testing: Watts Bar Unit 1 Nuclear Reactor
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