Life extension approach to the reactor vessel of a nuclear production reactor: Revision 1

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6104338

Sindelar, R L; Awadalla, N G; Baumann, N P; Mehta, H S

The nuclear materials production reactors at the Savannah River Plant have been in service for over 35 years. All the primary components of the reactor system are readily accessible for repair or replacement as needed except for the reactor vessel and thermal shields. The reactor vessel of a Savannah River Plant reactor is a cylindrical tank approximately 16 feet in diameter and 14 feet high and is not pressurized except for a 5 psig helium blanket gas in addition to the hydrostatic head of the heavy water (D/sub 2/O) moderator. The vessels are made of American Iron and Steel Institute Type 304 stainless steel fabricated into cylindrical shells with four to six wrought plates per vessel, 1.27 cm (0.5-inches) thick. The shells were made up in flat in two half-sections for later rolling and welding. The vessel bottom section containing the moderator effluent nozzles was welded to the shell in a T-joint configuration. All joining was performed with multipass Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding. The service life assessment of the reactor vessel addresses the corrosive effects of the D/sub 2/O moderator and the degradation of the vessel material properties through exposure of the vessel to neutron irradiation. Potential degradation mechanisms include radiation embrittlement, Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking; and Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking. 15 refs., 11 figs.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 6104338
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-88-143-Rev.1; CONF-890721-10-Rev.1; ON: DE89008305
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220700* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
A CODES
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CHARPY TEST
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
COMPUTER CODES
CONTAINERS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACKS
DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
EMBRITTLEMENT
FAILURES
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IMPACT TESTS
INTERGRANULAR CORROSION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL TESTS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON FLUX
NICKEL ALLOYS
PIPES
PRODUCTION REACTORS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION FLUX
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR VESSELS
REACTORS
RUPTURES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SERVICE LIFE
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR19NI10
STEELS
STRESS CORROSION
STRESSES
TESTING
THERMAL STRESSES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS