MATERIALS PERFORMANCE IN LWRS

摘要

The service life of major components in nuclear powerrnplants is generally dependent upon the performance of materialsrnin reactor service environments. It has recently become clearrnthat the useful service life of major reactor components such asrnPWR vessel penetrations, BWR vessel internal components andrnPWR steam generator tubing may be limited by corrosionrelatedrndamage. The end of the useful service life of such majorrncomponents should be understood as an economic decision. Therncost of demonstrating an acceptable margin of safety will atrnsome point exceed the cost of repair or replacement orrnrefurbishment of the component. In practical terms, investmentrnin technology for materials condition and performancernassessment enables a better estimate of componentrnserviceability and residual life, thus tending to increase servicernlife. This paper describes strategies for managing materialrnperformance issues for PWR vessel penetrations, BWR vesselrninternal components and PWR steam generator tubing.