Improvement and optimization of techniques for monitoring erosion-corrosion wear of equipment and pipelines at nuclear power stations

Abstract

We present the concept and main purposes of the Comprehensive Program of Measures on Preventing Failures and Improving the Operational Erosion-Corrosion Resistance of Equipment and Pipelines at Nuclear Power Stations developed at Rosenergoatom, as well as the first results obtained from work on implementing this program. We also describe new approaches, principles, and methods for identifying the dominating mechanism of thinning, for evaluating and extending residual erosion-corrosion service life, and for carrying out calculated-analytical justification of making corrections to typical programs for operational surveillance of the metal of nuclear power station pipelines and equipment. Practical possibilities of using the RAMEK software system for simulating local erosion-corrosion processes occurring in the metal of a condensate-feedwater path are demonstrated taking as an example the results of a study on determining factors and dominating mechanism that caused thinning to occur in the metal of the line bypassing the feedwater pipeline of a nuclear power station unit.