Hetman – Operational life of NPP vessels and pipelines
The book “Getman – Service Life of NPP Vessels and Piping” summarizes many years of experience in addressing service life issues at NPPs. It describes the methodology, methods, technologies, technical tools, and regulatory documents used at NPPs to address service life issues. Examples are provided for monitoring, assessing, and extending the service life of reactor cores, pressure vessels, main circulation pipes, valves, manifolds, and piping for multiple circulation circuits (MCCs), steam generators, and other equipment components of the main reactor plant types used at NPPs in Russia and Ukraine. Work to ensure service life during operation is considered as a continuation of service life issues addressed during the design and manufacturing stages of NPPs.
The book “Getman – Service Life of NPP Vessels and Piping” is intended for engineering, technical, and scientific professionals specializing in the design, manufacture, and operation of NPP structural components and equipment parts, as well as ensuring their strength, service life, reliability, and safety.
In recent years, considerable interest has arisen in the service life of NPP structural components both in Russia and abroad. This is due to the end (or approaching end) of the designated service life of some power units.
The issue of residual service life has been the subject of numerous conferences, meetings, publications, documents, and decisions made at various levels, including the IAEA. These materials contain some extreme viewpoints.
- First, the service life problem is being presented as a new one for nuclear power, requiring the development of new concepts, methodologies, techniques, and technologies for its solution. In reality, service life design technology has existed for at least 50 years, and the service life monitoring and management system at NPPs began to take shape at the very first power units, under the influence of various failures.
- Second, there appears to be an insufficient understanding of the problem, which can lead (and has already led in several cases) to major errors and miscalculations. In this situation, the NPP operating organizations must take the lead. These organizations are directly responsible for the safety of NPPs (and service life is directly linked to safety); NPPs employ a huge staff of employees dedicated to monitoring and maintaining the service life of their structures. Most importantly, the technology for solving service life problems during the operational phase is an independent field of knowledge (including scientific knowledge), requiring a high level of professionalism from the employees representing them. In particular, technologies for solving service life problems at the design, manufacturing, and operation stages, although they share common areas of overlap, also differ from each other, just as the design bureau, the manufacturer, and the NPP differ.
- Thirdly, there is a certain disconnect between solving service life problems and solving safety problems. High expenditures on solving service life problems (including service life extension) can only be justified if these problems are addressed simultaneously with those aimed at improving the reliability and safety of NPPs, and based on a unified methodology.
The book “Getman – Service Life of Nuclear Power Plant Vessels and Piping” is based on the author’s methodological and practical work addressing specific problems at nuclear power plants. A unique feature of the book is that it addresses the issue of ensuring service life during operation as part of the overall task of ensuring service life at the design, manufacturing, installation, and operation stages.
The contents of “Getman – Service Life of Nuclear Power Plant Vessels and Piping” were discussed in parts both at technical meetings during decision-making and at scientific seminars, including seminars within the framework of the State Scientific and Technical Program “Safety” (1997-99) and a seminar on residual service life organized by the American Association of Nuclear Mechanics and Engineers (ABME) in the United States (Newport, 1991).
Employees from nuclear power plants, design and materials science technology organizations, and various institutes participated in the work.
I would like to express my special gratitude to the staff of the Department of Strength, Materials Science and Welding of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plants (VNIIAES), who took an active part in the implementation of the work described in this monograph, Getman – Resource of Operation of Vessels and Pipelines of Nuclear Power Plants, as well as to the management and employees of the Rosenergoatom concern, without whose support and assistance it would have been impossible to carry out the work or publish this monograph, Getman – Resource of Operation of Vessels and Pipelines of Nuclear Power Plants.
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