NDTsi 2001 Session: Major Component Inspection I-IV
New Technologies and Tools for Advanced Eddy Current Inspections of Ligament Areas in VVER Steam Generators
I. Gledachev, P. Tsokov, I. Todev, Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria; A. Zubchenko, B. Goncharov, N. Razigraev, TSNIITMASH, Russia; L. Sanchez, J. Guerra, I. Popkirov, Tecnatom, Spain
ABSTRACT
Many experiences have shown that VVER steam generators have problems regarding development of cracks in the ligament areas of the collector wall. This fact, together with a previous experience on VVER´s Eddy Current inspection significatively smaller than on western design PWR´s, has led to a need of developing specific techniques and equipments for in service inspection of VVER steam generators, as one of the key activities to accomplish with the goals of improving safety, reliability and good operation of those Plants. This paper is aimed to show the latest developments in such techniques and equipments, including activities of previous qualification and real experiences had in some Plants. This work has required a common effort of collaboration among different companies in their specific field: Kozloduy, as the user of the technology in their inspections in 2001, TSNIITMASH as developer of special rotary probes and Tecnatom, as expert on techniques and robotized scanner and data acquisition and analysis systems.
Publication Source: 3nd International Conference on NDE in Relation to Structural Integrity for Nuclear and Pressurized Components, November 14-16, 2001, Seville Spain. Publisher: Tecnatom s.a. - [Homepage]
