Qualification by Prototype Component Test: An Engineering Solution to Address Manufacturing Deviation
Tóm tắt
Sodium cooled fast breeder reactors (SFR) are designed to operate at high-temperature conditions to achieve very high thermal efficiency (> 40%). Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is a typical medium-sized SFR nearing the final stage of commissioning activities at Kalpakkam. High-temperature service conditions pose challenges in the structural design of PFBR components. Slenderness is the main characteristic of PFBR components. Thus, the PFBR design standard (RCC MRx) imposes tight manufacturing tolerances to achieve the required dimensional stability and improve the design life. Austenitic stainless steel (ASS) is the primary structural material used in manufacturing PFBR components poses challenges due to welding distortion. This paper discusses the engineering solutions adopted to qualify the manufacturing deviation of two selected prototype components without compromising the safety. They are, viz., (i) Main vessel-roof slab (MV-RS) in situ weld joint and (ii) Inclined Fuel Transfer Machine (IFTM) welded chain. A simulated creep experiment is conducted to demonstrate the required life of the selected MV-RS weld joint. Fatigue and break tests are performed to qualify the welded IFTM chain. These test results suggest that the imposed acceptance criteria were stringent, and those components met the safety requirements with sufficient margin.
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