Forging Technology Adapted to the Manufacture of Nuclear PWR Austenitic Primary Piping

Abstract

In order to reduce the number of welds (in service inspection costs), to improve the thermal ageing resistance and the internal soundness of components, Electricité de France decided to develop a solution for forged austenitic stainless steel in place of castings to manufacture the straight parts and the elbows of the primary piping of PWR power plants. The paper presents the interest of such solution and the manufacture conditions of such for-gings applied, first, to a cold leg for the Civaux 1 unit and, second, to a complete loop for the Civaux 2 unit.