Nondestructive Evaluation of Steam Generator Tubes
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Authors
Mather, Phillip
Issue Date
1998
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
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Abstract
The Steam Generator Tube Integrity Program at Argonne National
Laboratory is developing a method for determining when the steam generator tubes
are flawed without necessitating the removal and destruction of the generator tubes
in question. A system is being developed to test the tubes in place as they cannot be
easily removed in a real reactor. The steam generator tubes are set in a testing rack
to imitate the situation within a reactor. There are a variety of reasons why a new
system would be beneficial to both the environment and the power companies.
If such a system can be implemented in a remote fashion, contact with any
contaminants and other undesirable by products of nuclear fission will be minimized.
Such a procedure could be either computer automated or manual, but would have to
identify which tubes have flaws and should be replaced before a disaster occurs.
Commonly, tubes with identified flaws are plugged and only the "good" ones are
used. However, this greatly reduces the generator efficiency and increases costs. If
the location along the tube is known, faults can be repaired and the generator can be
run with a decent efficiency.
The program at Argonne is concerned with determining how the data from
various nondestructive evaluation techniques correlates with the data measured
through standard destructive techniques. One method of gathering nondestructive
data is from an eddy current system. Based on this data, estimates for depth,
orientation, and position of flaws are calculated. Later, the tube is examined
destructively and the NDE estimate and actual data are compared. The hope is that
with further development, a stronger correlation will be shown between the two.
Description
vi, 59 p.
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