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Structural integrity of light water reactor components
which experience dynamic loads and could failin fatiguein the course of a long servicelifetime.It highlights lessons to be learned from failures which have occurred, draws attention to areas in which factualinformation is inadequate and summarizes attempts
which have been made to develop soundly based codes of practicefor the design of such structures,including the formulation of internationally acceptable standards. The Proceedings should be required reading for anyone who is concerned with fatigueproblems
relating to the design and performance of civil engineering structures.
K. D. Raithby
Structural integrity of light water r e a c tor c o m p o n e n t s Edited by: L. E. Steele, K. E. Stahlkoff and L. H. Larsson Applied Science Publishers Ltd (1982) xiv +407 pp £40.00
The papers contained in this b o o k the pressure vessel and other primary were presented at a special seminar components such as piping and steam which followed the 6th International generators are covered. A probabilisfic Conference on Structural Mechanics approach to the evaluation of pressure in Reactor Technology, 1981. This vessel safety margins is described, seminar was broader in scope than and the regulatory requirements and a similar seminar held in 1979, and further work needed to improve the included all of the primary pressure safe operation of steam generators boundary components. Papers are is discussed. contained in three sessions: overview In the second session much of national programmes and perspectives; attention is concentrated on pipe operational perspectives and systems cracking and steam generator tube surveillance; and operational perspecintegrity, and there is also a paper tives based on simulative research, on irradiation-induced changes in with a discussion at the end of each pressure vessel material, particularly session. In addition, at the end of the related to older plant. The status of b o o k is a report of a panel discussion, • USA reactor vessel surveillance prothe purpose of which was to bring grammes is described, and a most together experts in NDE and those in interesting paper from France shows reactor design and operation. It is how transient book-keeping in French worth reading this first as it presents light water reactor plants is made to an up-to-date, frank and honest insight comply with French safety regulations. into the difficulties being encountered These regulations require the user to by the people involved and the high permanently prove that the plant scientific and engineering demands operation is undertaken in such a way being made on them to assure structhat the components remain within tural integrity. their design conditions. The first session contains papers The third session is mainly confrom a number of nations which have cerned with cyclic crack growth in committed themselves to nuclear power various light water reactor environin the form o f light water reactors, ments. The number of questions and describes new knowledge being related to experimental aspects illusgenerated in national programmes, trated the difficulties in this area, particularly those in France, West and the need to account for change Germany, Japan and the USA. Both of crack shape with growth was
Int J Fatigue July 1983
emphasized. Two other papers are concerned with the use of pressure testing to ensure the safety of fatigue loaded pressure vessels, and with a weld technique for making in-service weld repairs of nuclear reactor components. The problems of NDE are highhghted in the panel discussion. It is stated that today's manufacturers prefer to repair or reject semi-finished products, rather than apply highly sophisticated methods of NDE, because of the cost and delay involved. A big drop off in NDE efficiency is noted on moving from the laboratory sample to the field. There is a strong plea for more rational international collaboration on NDE. The b o o k represents an honest international account of the primary pressure boundary structural integrity problems being grappled with by users of older light water reactors and of the efforts being made to avoid such problems in future hght water reactors. User experience is a very important input and the moderator hoped that more utility personnel would be able to attend the next meeting.
P. J. Worthington
181
which have been made to develop soundly based codes of practicefor the design of such structures,including the formulation of internationally acceptable standards. The Proceedings should be required reading for anyone who is concerned with fatigueproblems
relating to the design and performance of civil engineering structures.
K. D. Raithby
Structural integrity of light water r e a c tor c o m p o n e n t s Edited by: L. E. Steele, K. E. Stahlkoff and L. H. Larsson Applied Science Publishers Ltd (1982) xiv +407 pp £40.00
The papers contained in this b o o k the pressure vessel and other primary were presented at a special seminar components such as piping and steam which followed the 6th International generators are covered. A probabilisfic Conference on Structural Mechanics approach to the evaluation of pressure in Reactor Technology, 1981. This vessel safety margins is described, seminar was broader in scope than and the regulatory requirements and a similar seminar held in 1979, and further work needed to improve the included all of the primary pressure safe operation of steam generators boundary components. Papers are is discussed. contained in three sessions: overview In the second session much of national programmes and perspectives; attention is concentrated on pipe operational perspectives and systems cracking and steam generator tube surveillance; and operational perspecintegrity, and there is also a paper tives based on simulative research, on irradiation-induced changes in with a discussion at the end of each pressure vessel material, particularly session. In addition, at the end of the related to older plant. The status of b o o k is a report of a panel discussion, • USA reactor vessel surveillance prothe purpose of which was to bring grammes is described, and a most together experts in NDE and those in interesting paper from France shows reactor design and operation. It is how transient book-keeping in French worth reading this first as it presents light water reactor plants is made to an up-to-date, frank and honest insight comply with French safety regulations. into the difficulties being encountered These regulations require the user to by the people involved and the high permanently prove that the plant scientific and engineering demands operation is undertaken in such a way being made on them to assure structhat the components remain within tural integrity. their design conditions. The first session contains papers The third session is mainly confrom a number of nations which have cerned with cyclic crack growth in committed themselves to nuclear power various light water reactor environin the form o f light water reactors, ments. The number of questions and describes new knowledge being related to experimental aspects illusgenerated in national programmes, trated the difficulties in this area, particularly those in France, West and the need to account for change Germany, Japan and the USA. Both of crack shape with growth was
Int J Fatigue July 1983
emphasized. Two other papers are concerned with the use of pressure testing to ensure the safety of fatigue loaded pressure vessels, and with a weld technique for making in-service weld repairs of nuclear reactor components. The problems of NDE are highhghted in the panel discussion. It is stated that today's manufacturers prefer to repair or reject semi-finished products, rather than apply highly sophisticated methods of NDE, because of the cost and delay involved. A big drop off in NDE efficiency is noted on moving from the laboratory sample to the field. There is a strong plea for more rational international collaboration on NDE. The b o o k represents an honest international account of the primary pressure boundary structural integrity problems being grappled with by users of older light water reactors and of the efforts being made to avoid such problems in future hght water reactors. User experience is a very important input and the moderator hoped that more utility personnel would be able to attend the next meeting.
P. J. Worthington
181