Challenges in Manufacture of PFBR Steam Generators

Mitra, T.K.; Pai, Aravinda; Kumar, Prabhat

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.06.041

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…4,5 Consequently, traditional TIG welding is employed in nuclear power plants. 1 Nevertheless, the authors fabricated SS thick wall vacuum vessels of nuclear components and took TIG welding passes. As a result, the limitation of TIG welding can be overcome by using HW-TIG welding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, austenitic type 316LN stainless steel (SS) has been widely used as a structural material in the nuclear power industry due to its suitable elevated temperature, mechanical properties, and excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion than ferritic steels. 1,2 Due to their low carbon and controlled nitrogen content, austenitic stainless steel type 316LN has been selected for Indian prototype sodium-cooled fast breeder reactors. Moreover, nitrogen was added to compensate for strength reduction caused due to reduction in the carbon content.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Process parameter optimization of hot-wire TIG welding of 10 mm thick type 316LN stainless steel plates

Neelamegam

Meenakshisundaram

Muthukumaran

2023

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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This study aims to reduce the number of weld passes and total heat input to 316LN stainless steel during hot-wire tungsten inert gas (HW-TIG) welding process by optimizing process parameters. Therefore, the response surface methodology (RSM) of design of experiments (DOE) approach has been adopted to optimize HW-TIG welding parameters and study the interaction between the parameters and responses. In order to minimize the total number of experimental runs, a design matrix was generated with 30 sets of process parameters. The bead-on plate welding experiments were carried out based on the above generated process parameters. Using the RSM, a quadratic model was developed based on a central composite design to establish the regression equations between input variables (welding current, wire feed current, welding speed, and wire feed rate) and responses (bead width, depth of penetration, and weld cross sectional area). The input process parameters and their responses were correlated with the regression model. Further, parameter values were optimized using the desirability approach and the optimized solutions were generated. Using the optimized process parameters, 316LN stainless steel weld joints were fabricated. Tensile testing and metallography samples were extracted from the fabricated weld joints. The results reveal that the optimization of process parameters by RSM based approach reduced the number of weld passes and improved the weld quality with lower heat input to 316LN stainless steel. In addition, the fabricated weld joint of 316LN stainless steel using the optimized process parameters exhibited better microstructure and strength properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Process parameter optimization of hot-wire TIG welding of 10 mm thick type 316LN stainless steel plates

Neelamegam

Meenakshisundaram

Muthukumaran

2023

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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“…In-service inspection of SG tubes at regular intervals has been envisaged for Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), being commissioned in Kalpakkam, India. 1,2 SG tubes of PFBR are 23 m long and welded to tubesheets at both ends. SG tubes of PFBR are made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo ferritic steel, which is ferromagnetic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of thermal expansion bend and tubesheet geometry on guided wave inspection of steam generator tubes of a fast breeder reactor

Narayanan

Arjun

Kumar

2021

Structural Health Monitoring

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Periodic assessment of steam generator tubes of a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor is very crucial for smooth operation of steam generators. To examine the integrity, an in-bore magnetostrictive transducer capable of launching and receiving longitudinal ultrasonic guided waves (L(0,2) mode) from the inner diameter side of a steam generator tube developed in-house is used. Preliminary tests conducted on defective steam generator tubes with thermal expansion bends (three successive bends) of the mockup steam generator test facility yield a good sensitivity of 20% wall thickness deep flaw (0.46-mm deep and 1-mm wide half-circumferential groove) and the location accuracy of 10 mm. In order to remove high noise, wavelet-based denoising using discrete wavelet transform is used which improves the signal-to-noise ratio by 5–10 dB. In addition, cross-correlation technique is also used to denoise and unambiguously identify the defect echoes amid noise and multiple reflections between the defects. Furthermore, influence of the thermal expansion bend and tubesheet–spigot structure on L(0,2) mode is studied using the finite element analysis. It is observed that in the thermal expansion (multiple) bend, axisymmetric L(0,2) mode becomes non-axisymmetric (maximum and minimum amplitudes at extrados and intrados, respectively) and undergoes mode conversion to a weak flexural mode F(1,3). The results are validated experimentally. In the tubesheet–spigot structure, L(0,2) mode is found to have ∼10% reflection from spigot–tubesheet transitions, and it is seen to mode convert to bulk waves in the tubesheet. In conclusion, thicker tubesheets are found to be better from the perspective of inspection.

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Detection of Multiple Flaws in Steam Generator Tubes of PFBR Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves

Narayanan

Kumar

Mukhopadhyay

2019

Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering

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Challenges in Manufacture of PFBR Steam Generators

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Process parameter optimization of hot-wire TIG welding of 10 mm thick type 316LN stainless steel plates

Process parameter optimization of hot-wire TIG welding of 10 mm thick type 316LN stainless steel plates

Influence of thermal expansion bend and tubesheet geometry on guided wave inspection of steam generator tubes of a fast breeder reactor

Detection of Multiple Flaws in Steam Generator Tubes of PFBR Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves

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