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Safety significance of steam generator tube degradation mechanisms

Abstract

Steam generator (SG) tube bundle is a part of the Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary (RCPB): this means that its integrity must be maintained. However, operating experience shows various types of tube degradation to occur in the SG tubing, which may lead to SG tube leaks or SG tube ruptures and create a loss of primary system coolant through the SG, therefore providing a direct path to the environment outside the primary containment structure. In this paper, the major types of known SG tube degradations are described and analyzed in order to assess their safety significance with regard to SG tube integrity. In conclusion: The operational reliability and the safety of the PWR steam generator s requires a sufficient knowledge of the degradation mechanisms to determine the amount of degradation that a tube can withstand and the time that it may remain in operation. They also require the availability of inspection techniques to accurately detect and characterize the various degradations. The status of understanding of the major types of degradation summarized in this paper shows and justifies why efforts are being performed to improve the management of the steam generator tube defects.
Authors:
Roussel, G; Mignot, P [1] 
  1. AIB-Vincotte Nuclear - AVN, Brussels (Belgium)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 1991
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
NEA-CSNI-R-1991-17
Resource Relation:
Conference: NEA/CSNI-UNIPEDE Specialist Meeting on Operating Experience with Steam Generators, Brussels (Belgium), 16-20 Sep 1991; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Related Information: In: Proceedings of the NEA/CSNI-UNIPEDE Specialist Meeting on Operating Experience with Steam Generators, 744 pages.
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; AVAILABILITY; CONTAINMENT; COOLANTS; DEFECTS; ENVIRONMENT; INSPECTION; LEAKS; LOSSES; MANAGEMENT; OPERATION; PWR TYPE REACTORS; RELIABILITY; RUPTURES; SAFETY; STEAM GENERATORS; TUBES
OSTI ID:
21154408
Research Organizations:
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development - Nuclear Energy Agency, Committee on the safety of nuclear installations - OECD/NEA/CSNI, Le Seine Saint-Germain, 12 boulevard des Iles, F-92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux (France)
Country of Origin:
NEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: XN09C0017033036
Availability:
Available from INIS in electronic form
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 323-330
Announcement Date:
May 18, 2009

Citation Formats

Roussel, G, and Mignot, P. Safety significance of steam generator tube degradation mechanisms. NEA: N. p., 1991. Web.
Roussel, G, & Mignot, P. Safety significance of steam generator tube degradation mechanisms. NEA.
Roussel, G, and Mignot, P. 1991. "Safety significance of steam generator tube degradation mechanisms." NEA.
@misc{etde_21154408,
title = {Safety significance of steam generator tube degradation mechanisms}
author = {Roussel, G, and Mignot, P}
abstractNote = {Steam generator (SG) tube bundle is a part of the Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary (RCPB): this means that its integrity must be maintained. However, operating experience shows various types of tube degradation to occur in the SG tubing, which may lead to SG tube leaks or SG tube ruptures and create a loss of primary system coolant through the SG, therefore providing a direct path to the environment outside the primary containment structure. In this paper, the major types of known SG tube degradations are described and analyzed in order to assess their safety significance with regard to SG tube integrity. In conclusion: The operational reliability and the safety of the PWR steam generator s requires a sufficient knowledge of the degradation mechanisms to determine the amount of degradation that a tube can withstand and the time that it may remain in operation. They also require the availability of inspection techniques to accurately detect and characterize the various degradations. The status of understanding of the major types of degradation summarized in this paper shows and justifies why efforts are being performed to improve the management of the steam generator tube defects.}
place = {NEA}
year = {1991}
month = {Jul}
}