SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1979
STP35084S

Acoustic Emission Surveillance of Boiling Water Reactor Piping Nozzles and Valves

Source

Traditional inservice inspection (ISI) techniques for nuclear power plants are hampered by personnel radiation exposure. There is a genuine need for on-line surveillance methods which can identify areas of possible structural degradation, thereby resulting in reduced inspection time because of concentrated inspection activity. One potential method, acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, is being investigated as a surveillance technique at Philadelphia Electric Company's Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Unit 3. The data produced by the AE surveillance are being compared with the ISI results.

Acoustic emission sensors are mounted on two feedwater nozzles, two core spray lines, and one recirculation by-pass line. Also, eleven mainstream safety/relief valves are being acoustically monitored for the detection and measurements of leaks. This paper describes the correspondence of the AE results with the inservice inspection data obtained during two refueling outages. The feasibility of general implementation of AE surveillance is discussed.

Author Information

Hartman, WF
Structural Testing and Analysis, Technology for Energy Corp., Knoxville, Tenn
McElroy, JW
Philadelphia Electric Co., Philadelphia, Pa
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Details
Developed by Committee: E07
Pages: 205–218
DOI: 10.1520/STP35084S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4762-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0271-2