Augmented inservice inspection of piping welds at the reactor vessel nozzles. [PWR]

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7257727

Esselman, T C; Bamford, W H; Hughes, E T; Adamonis, D C

Data are presented which indicate that reactor vessel nozzle safe end welds can be reliably inspected and that inspection provides assurance that a piping rupture will not occur at this critical location. The probability of a pipe rupture has been shown to be significantly reduced by augmenting normal inservice inspection. The program of augmented inservice inspection proposed in the report provides for reactor vessel nozzle safe end weld inspection twice as often as required by Section XI of the ASME Code. The additional inspection can be performed from the outside diameter (OD) of the pipe using a refracted-longitudinal ultrasonic testing technique. Inspection from the outside of the pipe using automated examination equipment provides good ultrasonic resolution and detectability in the critical zones of the weld. Implementation of this program is claimed to reduce the probability of a severe pipe rupture at the reactor vessel nozzles to such an insignificant level that its consideration as a design basis is not required.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7257727
• Report Number(s): WCAP-8802; TRN: 77-000092
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
PRESSURE VESSELS
WELDED JOINTS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
INSPECTION
NOZZLES
PIPE FITTINGS
RELIABILITY
ULTRASONIC TESTING
ACOUSTIC TESTING
CONTAINERS
JOINTS
MATERIALS TESTING
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
REACTORS
TESTING
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210200* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled