NSUF 19-CINR-16297: Irradiation studies on electron beam welded PM-HIP pressure vessel steel

The objective of this project is to assess the structural and mechanical integrity of electron beam welded powder metallurgy-hot isostatic pressed (PM-HIP) pressure vessel steel under service relevant irradiation conditions. The recent Nuclear Regulatory Commission design certification of the first small modular reactor (SMR) has amplified the necessity to qualify innovative processing and joining methods to streamline SMR manufacturing and deployment. Amongst the innovative techniques under consideration for nuclear applications, two of the most mature are electron beam (EB) welding and powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP). Autogenous EB welding minimizes tramp element pickup at the weld, reducing embrittlement. Moreover, EB welds can be produced in as little as 10% of the time as conventional arc welds. The use of PM-HIP base materials enables near-net shape reactor component fabrication, minimizes the need for machining, and further reduces production time, enhancing economic competitiveness. The combination of EB welding and PM-HIP processing produces high quality joints with no evidence of a weld seam or heat affected zone (HAZ) after a solution anneal, quench, normalization, and tempering (SQNT) treatment. Hence, there is express interest from nuclear industry stakeholders to qualify the combination of EB welding and PM-HIP for pressure vessel construction for SMRs, light water reactors (LWRs), and advanced reactors. Thus, there is a critical need to demonstrate that the irradiation-induced embrittlement of EB welded PM-HIP pressure vessel materials falls within acceptable operational safety margins.

Допълнителна информация

Поле	Стойност
Abstract	The objective of this project is to assess the structural and mechanical integrity of electron beam welded powder metallurgy-hot isostatic pressed (PM-HIP) pressure vessel steel under service relevant irradiation conditions. The recent Nuclear Regulatory Commission design certification of the first small modular reactor (SMR) has amplified the necessity to qualify innovative processing and joining methods to streamline SMR manufacturing and deployment. Amongst the innovative techniques under consideration for nuclear applications, two of the most mature are electron beam (EB) welding and powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP). Autogenous EB welding minimizes tramp element pickup at the weld, reducing embrittlement. Moreover, EB welds can be produced in as little as 10% of the time as conventional arc welds. The use of PM-HIP base materials enables near-net shape reactor component fabrication, minimizes the need for machining, and further reduces production time, enhancing economic competitiveness. The combination of EB welding and PM-HIP processing produces high quality joints with no evidence of a weld seam or heat affected zone (HAZ) after a solution anneal, quench, normalization, and tempering (SQNT) treatment. Hence, there is express interest from nuclear industry stakeholders to qualify the combination of EB welding and PM-HIP for pressure vessel construction for SMRs, light water reactors (LWRs), and advanced reactors. Thus, there is a critical need to demonstrate that the irradiation-induced embrittlement of EB welded PM-HIP pressure vessel materials falls within acceptable operational safety margins.
Award Announced Date	2020-01-08T00:00:00
Awarded Institution	None
Facility	None
Facility Tech Lead
Irradiation Facility	None
PI	Janelle Wharry
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	CINR
RTE Number	3077