Restraining effect of support plates on the limit loads for circumferential cracks in the steam generator tube

The steam generator in a nuclear power plant is a large heat exchanger that uses heat from a reactor to generate steam to drive the turbine generator. Rupture of a steam generator tube can result in release of fission products to environment outside. Therefore, an accurate integrity assessment of the steam generator tubes with cracks is of great importance for maintaining the safety of a nuclear power plant. The steam generator tubes are supported at regular intervals by tube support plates and rotations of the tubes are restrained. Although it has been reported that the limit load for a circumferential crack is significantly affected by boundary condition of the tube, existing limit load solutions do not consider the restraining effect of tube support plate correctly. In addition, there are no limit load solutions for circumferential cracks in U-bend region with the effect of tube support plate. This paper provides detailed limit load solutions for circumferential cracks in top of tube sheet and the U-bend regions of the steam generator tube with the actual boundary conditions to simulate the restraining effect of the tube support plate. Such solutions are developed based on three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analyses. The resulting limit load solutions are given in a polynomial form, and thus can be simply used in practical integrity assessment of the steam generator tubes.     

Investigation on the interaction effect of two parallel axial through-wall cracks existing in steam generator tube

It is commonly required that steam generator tubes wall-thinned in excess of 40% should be plugged. However, the plugging criterion is known to be too conservative for some locations and types of defects and its application is confined to a single crack. In the previous study, the conservatism of the present plugging criterion of steam generator tubes was reviewed and a crack coalescence model applicable to steam generator tubes with two collinear axial through-wall cracks was proposed. Since parallel axial cracks are more frequently detected during in-service inspections than collinear axial cracks, the studies on parallel axial cracks spaced in circumferential direction are necessary. The objective of this paper is to investigate the interaction effect between two parallel axial through-wall cracks existing in a steam generator tube. Finite element analyses were performed and a new failure model of the steam generator tube with these types of cracks is suggested. Interaction effects between two adjacent cracks were investigated to explain the deformation behavior of cracked tubes.     

Development of probability of detection functions for evaluating integrity of axial outside diameter stress corrosion cracks in steam generator

The reliability of an eddy current testing (ECT) inspection system depends upon the inspection technique and quality of analyst. In evaluating the integrity of a steam generator (SG) tube, degradation detection and sizing accuracy are considered performance measures of the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) system. A probability of detection (POD) model serves as a functional measure of the ability of an NDE system to detect degradation. It is one of the inputs in the operational assessment, and it is used to estimate the degradation during service via ECT of the SG tube. In this study, the POD functions of the inspection technique and analyst were obtained to quantitatively analyze the ECT bobbin probe for axial outside diameter stress corrosion cracks in SG tubes. This should serve to evaluate the integrity of the SG tubes. The depth and amplitude of defects were used as parameters of the POD model. Hit (detection) and miss (no detection) binary data obtained from destructive and nondestructive inspection of cracked tubes were also used.     

Secondary side corrosion in steam generator tubes: lessons learned in France from the in-service inspection results

Non-destructive testing (NDT) has proved to be very important in the maintenance of steam generator tubing. This is particularly true in the case of secondary side corrosion, because this type of degradation leads to various morphologies which are often complex (intergrranular attack) (IGA), intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC), or a mixture of both. Their detection and characterization by the usual NDT techniques have been achieved through numerous laboratory studies, which were conducted in order to determine the performance and limitations of NDT. Pulled tube examination in a hot laboratory was very valuable, for both NDT and fracture mechanics aspects. The eddy current bobbin coil probe, used for multipurpose inspection of tubes, allows the detection of IGA-SCC at the tube support plate elevation. In France, the use of rotating probes is not required for that type of degradation, since the repair criterion is based on bobbin coil results only. The bobbin coil is also used for detection of IGSCC occurring in free spans, within sludge deposits. The eddy current rotating probe allows, in that case, characterization of main cracks. Concerning the outer diameter initiated circumferential cracks which occur at the top of the tube sheet, only the rotating probe is used. An ultrasonic (UT) inspection was performed several times, in order to obtain information on UT capabilities. The goal of tube inspection is obviously knowledge of the status of steam generators, but also to follow up degradations and to estimate their revolution, and to verify the beneficial effect of some corrective measures, e.g. boric acid injection.     

Stress corrosion crack length and depth evolution on pulled SG tubes from a PWR

Eddy current test (ECT) data collected from the in-service inspection (ISI) of pulled steam generator (SG) tubes were evaluated in terms of the primary water stress corrosion crack (PWSCC) length and depth evolution. After shot peening, the evaluated crack length and the number of cracks did not increase, but the Eddy current voltages that were related to the crack depth increased continuously. In the analysis of all the tubes of the plant, the evaluated crack lengths saturated at around 6 mm, while the voltage of the defects increased with time. As a result, shot peening was considered effective for suppressing crack length increase, but not so successful from the point of preventing crack deepening. It was also found that tube bundles that were susceptible to PWSCC were located in a special area depending on the steam generators of the analyzed plant.     

Vibrations of probe used for the defect detection of helical heating tubes in a fast breeder reactor: Part 1. Experimental results by using mock-up

This paper deals with the vibration and the sensor signal noise of the eddy current testing (ECT) probe used for a defect detection of helical heating tubes in the fast breeder reactor “Monju”, developed in Japan. ECT probes are used for the detection of defects in a heating tube. The heating tube is composed of a helical tube and a straight tube because of their advantages of thermal efficiency and saving space. No vibrations of the ECT probe have been generated in usual straight heating tubes. However, vibrations of the ECT probe in the helical tube cause some noise and decrease the sensitivity of the ECT probe. The experiment was performed using a mock-up, and the noise characteristics of an ECT sensor mounted in an ECT probe were examined. The experimental results showed that the sensor signal noise during the insertion process of the ECT probe was higher than that of the return process, and vibrations of the insertion process had a certain emerging frequency. Attaching the long and flexible guide probe to the top of the ECT probe was an effective countermeasure against sensor signal noise.     

Development of a hybrid ECT sensor for JSFR SG double-wall tubes

A new design has been adopted for the steam generator (SG) tubes of the Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR) using double-wall tubes. This paper estimates and assesses the effectiveness of detecting defects in SG double-wall tubes of the JSFR by using combined high-frequency eddy current testing (ECT) and low-frequency remote field eddy current sensors. We confirm that the proposed hybrid ECT sensor is highly sensitive to small defects, fatigue cracks, and other defects even when located under support plates of tubes. The parameters of the hybrid ECT sensor are designed and optimized to detect small defects using accurate numerical simulations based on the finite element method, using an in-house developed code. The sensitivity and high performance of the hybrid ECT sensor was validated with experimental measurements.     

蒸汽发生器换热管电磁超声纵向导波换能器设计与优化

高温气冷堆蒸汽发生器换热管特殊的螺旋结构导致传统外置型电磁超声导波换能器难以进行有效检测。本文针对蒸汽发生器不锈钢换热管的缺陷检测,开发了一种新型内置型电磁超声纵向导波换能器,建立了有限元多物理场耦合模型,研究了换能器铁磁结构的静态磁场分布,并对换能器激励出的纵向导波进行了时域仿真。结果表明：采用挤压聚磁的换能器结构可保证线圈附近的垂直方向磁场远大于水平方向磁场,能高效地在管道内部激励单一模式的纵向导波;优化后的探头可检测直径为5 mm的通孔缺陷和长×宽×深为20 mm×1.5 mm×1.2 mm的环向槽缺陷。因此,新型电磁超声纵向导波换能器可有效激励纵向导波,并有望应用于高温气冷堆蒸汽发生器换热管的在役缺陷检测。     

Modeling of eddy current probe response for steam generator tubes

Sample calculations were performed with a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element model to describe the response of an eddy current (EC) probe to defects in steam generator (SG) tubing. Such calculations could be very helpful in understanding and interpreting EC probe response to complex tube/defect geometries associated with the inservice inspection (ISI) of SG tubes. The governing field equations are in terms of coupled magnetic vector and electric scalar potentials in conducting media and of total or reduced scalar potentials in nonconducting regions. To establish the validity of the model, comparisons of the theoretical and experimental responses of an absolute bobbin probe are given for two types of calibration standard defects. Simulation results are also presented on the effect of ligament size in axial cracks on bobbin probe response.     

Overview of steam generator tube degradation and integrity issues

The degradation of steam generator tubes in pressurized water nuclear reactors, and, in particular, the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Alloy 600 tubes, continues to be a serious problem. Primary water SCC is commonly observed at the roll transition zone (RTZ), at U-bends and tube denting locations, and occasionally in plugs and sleeves. Outer-diameter SCC (ODSCC) and intergranular attack (IGA) commonly occur near tube support plate (TSP) crevices, near the tube sheet in crevices, or under sludge piles, and occasionally in the free span. A particularly troubling recent trend has been the increasing occurrence of axial and circumferential cracking at the RTZ on both the primary and secondary sides. Outer-diameter stress corrosion cracking in TSP crevices, commonly consisting of segmented axial cracks with interspersed uncracked ligaments, is also becoming more common. Despite recent advances in inservice inspection (ISI) technology, a clear need still exists for quantifying and improving the reliability of ISI methods with respect to the probability of detection of the various types of flaws and their accurate sizing. These improvements are necessary to permit an accurate assessment of the consequences of leaving degraded tubes in service over the next reactor operating cycle. Degradation modes such as circumferential cracking, intergranular attack, and ODSCC at the TSP have affected a large number of tubes. New regulatory guidance is being developed that requires the development and implementation of a steam generator management program that monitors tube condition against accepted performance criteria to ensure that the tubes will perform the required safety function over the next operating cycle. In formulating new guidance for the implementation of alternate repair criteria, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is also evaluating the contribution to overall plant risk from severe accidents. Preliminary analyses are being performed for a postulated severe-accident scenario that involves station blackout and loss of primary feedwater, in order to determine the probability of failure for degraded tubes.     

Remote field eddy current testing for steam generator inspection of fast reactor

We confirmed the defect detection performances of the remote field eddy current testing (RFECT) in order to inspect the helical-coil-type double wall tube steam generator (DWTSG) with the wire mesh layer for the new small fast reactor 4S (Super-Safe, Small and Simple). As the high sensitivity techniques, we tried to increase the direct magnetic field intensity in the vicinity of the inner wall of the tube and decrease the direct magnetic field around the central axis of the tube using the exciter coil with the flux guide made of the iron–nickel alloy. We adopted the horizontal type multiple detector coils with the flux guides arrayed circumferentially to enhance the sensitivity of the radial component. According to the experimental results, the output voltage of the detector coil in the region of indirect magnetic field increased more than 100 times by the application of the exciter and detector coils with the flux guides. Finally, we were able to detect the small hole defect of 1 mm in diameter and 20% of the outer tube thickness in depth over the wire mesh layer by the adoption of the exciter coil and horizontal type multiple detector coils with the flux guides. We also confirmed that the RFECT probe is useful for detecting thinning defects. These experimental results indicated that there is the possibility that we can inspect the double wall tube with the wire mesh layer using the RFECT.     

Safety and availability of steam generator tubes affected by secondary side corrosion

The outside diameter stress corrosion cracking at tube support plates became the dominating ageing mechanism in steam generator tubes made of Inconel 600. A variety of maintenance approaches were developed and implemented world-wide to enable safe and reliable plant operation with affected tubes. Despite different philosophical and physical backgrounds involved, all applied approaches satisfy relevant regulatory requirements. The main goal followed in this paper is to quantify the degree of safety which is achieved through the implementation of selected maintenance approaches. A method is proposed which measures the operational safety and availability through three efficiency parameters: probability of steam generator tube rupture; predicted accidental leak rates through the defects in the tube bundle; and number of plugged tubes. An original probabilistic model quantifies the probability of tube rupture, while procedures available in literature were used to evaluate the accidental leak rates. A numerical example is based on data from the Kr ko NPP (PWR 623 MWe). The maintenance strategies analyzed are: (a) traditional defect depth (40%) plugging criterion; (b) alternate plugging criterion (bobbin coil voltage as defined by EPRI and US NRC); (c) combination of traditional and alternate plugging criteria; and (d) no plugging at all. Advantages of the defect specific approaches (b) and (c) over the traditional one (a) are clearly shown. The efficiency of the traditional approach (a) is shown to be comparable to the no plugging at all approach (d). Finally, a sensitivity analysis aimed at ranking of the input parameters is presented. Uncertain failure models are shown to be the major contributor to the scatter of obtained results.     

Crack depth estimation of non-magnetic material by convolutional neural network analysis of eddy current testing signal

ABSTRACT

When a heat transfer tube of the steam generator of a pressurized water reactor fails, the primary cooling water leaks quickly into the secondary system. Moreover, if this leakage is large, the nuclear reactor emergency core cooling system (ECCS) may be activated. In Japan, to prevent such situation to take place, periodic inspections are performed in order to check whether heat transfer tubes are cracked. Eddy Current Testing (ECT) is a type of non-destructive inspection method used to detect cracks in a conductive material. ECT can estimate the shape of a crack by inverse problem analysis, but it is computationally expensive. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to develop a method to estimate crack depth by Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The method was shown to be less computationally expensive during estimation and was robust against lift-off fluctuation during measurements.     

Plastic limit load analysis for steam generator tubes with local wall-thinning

This paper introduces the study of experimental and numerical analysis for plastic limit loads of Inconel 690 steam generators (SG) tubes with local wall-thinning defects. Meanwhile, the effect of the three dimensions of a local wall-thinning defect on the plastic limit load of SG tubes is analyzed.A test facility which can test both burst pressure and plastic limit load of SG tubes was established and SG tubes with 3 typical types of defects were tested by using the facility. A regularization method for local wall-thinning defect is proposed and the finite element method was used to analyze the plastic limit load of SG tubes with defects. Compared with the experimental results of SG tubes with real defects, the calculated values of plastic limit load for SG tubes with regularized defects are conservative.Based on finite element method, the effect of the three dimensions of local wall-thinning defects on plastic limit loads of defected Inconel 690 SG tubes has been got. The studied results show that the defect depth of a local wall-thinning defect is the main factor influencing the plastic limit load of SG tubes, on the other hand, both the longitudinal length and the circumferential length of a defect have effect on the plastic limit load of SG tubes.It is found that in some cases, when the longitudinal length and the circumferential angle of a local wall-thinning defect exceed some extent, the effect of the longitudinal length and the circumferential angle on plastic limit load can be ignored.     

基于RELAP5的螺旋管蒸汽发生器热工水力程序研发与验证

由于较高的换热效率和紧凑的结构设计，螺旋管式直流蒸汽发生器（HCOTSG）在多种模块化小型堆的设计中得到了广泛应用。RELAP5作为广泛应用于反应堆热工水力特性分析的大型系统程序之一，采用的热工水力关系式仅针对直管模型开发，不适用于HCOTSG一次侧和二次侧。本文选用螺旋管及横掠管束的热工水力模型，基于RELAP5程序开发了HCOTSG模块。采用实验数据及程序对比等方式对螺旋管模块的流动和换热模型进行了单独验证，利用开发的RELAP5-HCOTSG程序针对国际革新安全反应堆（IRIS）的蒸汽发生器设计进行了整体的热工水力模拟，与原始RELAP5的计算相比，RELAP5-HCOTSG程序计算得到的热工水力参数与设计值符合良好，确认了本文开发的程序模块在HCOTSG热工水力分析中的适用性。     

Mechanical integrity analysis of TMI-1 OTSG unplugged tubes

Small I.D. circumferential defects have been identified in many steam generator tubes. The origin of the cracks is known to be chemical, not mechanical. A fracture mechanics evaluation has been conducted to ascertain the stability of tube cracks under steady-state and anticipated transient conditions. A spectrum of hypothetical crack sizes was interacted with tube stresses derived from the load evaluation using the methods of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). Stress intensities were calculated for part-through wall cracks in cylinders combining components due to membrane stress, bending stress, and stresses due to internal pressure acting on the parting crack faces as the loads are cycled.The LEFM computational code, “BIGIF”, developed for EPRI, was used to integrate over a range of stress intensities following the model to describe crack growth in INCO 600 at operating temperature using the equation (ΔK)^3.5.The code was modified by applying ΔK_Th, the threshold stress intensity range. Below ΔK_Th small cracks will not propagate at all. Appropriate R ratio values were employed when calculating crack propagation due to high cycle or low cycle loading.Cracks that may have escaped detection by ECT will not jeopardize tube integrity during normal cooldown unless these cracks are greater than 180° in extent. Large non-through-wall cracks that would jeopardize tube integrity are not expected to evolve because in axi-symmetric tensile stress fields, cracks propagate preferentially through the tube wall rather than around the circumference. Tube integrity can be demonstrated for mid-span tube regions and for the transition region as well.The as-repaired transition geometry is a design no less adequate than the original. The as-repaired condition represents an improvement in the state of stress due to mechanical and thermal loads as compared to the original.     

Coalescence evaluation of collinear axial through-wall cracks in steam generator tubes

To maintain the structural integrity of steam generator tubes, usually, 40% of wall thickness plugging criterion has been adopted. However, since the criterion is applicable only for the steam generator tube containing a single crack, the interaction effect of multiple cracks cannot be considered. In this paper, the coalescence pressure of tube with dual cracks is evaluated based on detailed three-dimensional elastic–plastic finite element analyses. In terms of the crack configuration, collinear axial through-wall cracks with various length, distance and ratio between individual cracks are selected. The applicability of failure pressure prediction models recently proposed by the authors was verified by comparing the finite element analyses results with corresponding experimental data for tubes with two identical cracks. Further, in order to quantify the effect of crack length ratio on failure behavior, the failure pressure prediction model was used expansively for tubes containing different-sized cracks and a coalescence evaluation diagram was developed.     

Analysis of Overheating Rupture in Heat-Transfer Tubes Causing Corrosive High-Temperature Reaction

In the steam generator of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor, a defect penetrating through heat-transfer tube will cause high-pressure water/steam to spout into the low-pressure sodium filling the space outside the tube, to initiate sodium-water reactions. If the leak exceeds an intermediate level (~2kg/s), the reaction jet may rupture adjoining tubes with overheating in the event of insufficient cooling available inside the tubes. Such phenomenon of overheating tube rupture presents a serious problem to the economy and safety of steam generator. With a view to clarifying the failure behavior of steam generator heat-transfer tubes under such condition a model of the phenomenon is derived through a series of tests on sodium-water reactions making use of a test loop representing the scale model of an actual fast breeder steam generator. Comparison of actual test data with analysis based on the model has yielded the following information: The failure behavior of gas-pressurized tubes fall into two categories: (a) by creep failure—occurring upon increase of cumulative damage with tube wall wastage caused by the reaction jet and (b) by ductile failure accompanied by creep—upon tube heating with the reaction jet to the extent of lowering tube wall strength below the hoop stress exerted by tube pressure. Analysis of the two categories of failure results in estimation of the percentage difference between analyzed and measured times to failure of 35–50% in the case of creep failure and of 20–50% in the case of ductile failure accompanied by creep. In practical application to steam generators in order to provide a safety margin a time factor—i.e., the safety factor indicating multiple of actual time to failure—of 3 is adopted against 1.5–2 indicated from test to be the actually applicable value.     

Flow-induced vibration and fretting-wear predictions of steam generator helical tubes

This paper addresses the potential flow-induced vibrations and fretting-wear of helically coiled tubes of the once-through steam generator employed at an integral type nuclear reactor, where the tubes are subjected to liquid cross-flow externally and multi-phase flow internally. The thermal-hydraulic conditions of both tube side and shell side flow fields are predicted using a general purpose computational fluid dynamics code using the finite volume element modeling. To get the natural frequency and corresponding mode shape of the helically coiled tubes with various conditions, a finite element analysis code is used. Based on the results of both the thermal-hydraulic analysis of helically coiled tube steam generator and the modal analysis of the tubes, predictions of turbulence-induced vibration, fluidelastic instability and fretting-wear of the helically coiled tubes are performed. In the predictions, special emphasis is placed on determining the effects of the number of supports, coil diameter and helix pitch on the natural vibration mode, turbulence vibration amplitude, fluidelastic instability and fretting-wear characteristics of the tubes. The results provide the technical information and bases needed by designers and regulatory reviewers for evaluating the design.     

Enhancements of eddy current testing techniques for quantitative nondestructive testing of key structural components of nuclear power plants

In this paper, studies on upgrade of eddy current testing (ECT) techniques for inspection of stress corrosion cracks (SCC) in key structural components of a nuclear power plant are reported. Access and scanning vehicle (robot), advanced probes for steam generator (SG) tube inspection, developments and evaluations of new ECT probes for welding joint, and ECT-based crack sizing technique are described, respectively. Based on these techniques, it is demonstrated that ECT can play as a supplement of ultrasonic testing (UT) for the quantitative inspection of welding zone. It is also proved in this work that new ECT sensors are efficient even for inspection of a stainless steel plate as thick as 15 mm.