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id=15201
1
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, India
2
Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, Kalpakkam, India
E-mail: aloganath@igcar.gov.in; b pkumar@igcar.gov.in; c bap@igcar.gov.in;
d
bvenkat@igcar.gov.in
The second phase of Indian Nuclear Programme, 500MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)
of pool type, mixed oxide fuelled, sodium cooled nuclear reactor is nearing completion stage of
construction at Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu, India.
The reactor components of PFBR is larger in size, varying thickness with challenging design,
fabricated by Austenitic Stainless Steel for compatibility with liquid Sodium, which is being used as
coolant both in primary and secondary system of PFBR.
Ultrasonic examination of Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds has been considered as difficult due to
high level of scatter, attenuation, often prevents observation of defects by low signal to noise ratio,
beam splitting and skewing effects and spurious echo from the weld hinder interpretation and it is
much more complicated with typical T,K,Y type weld joints.
This paper describes work carried out and validated on ultrasonic examination for various
configurations of weld joints of reactor components.
1.0 Introduction:
In construction of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor major Reactor Assembly Components are
made of Austenitic stainless steel with varying thickness in the order of 10 to 50mm are
encountered. The governing codes are RCC-MR and PFBR specification, Ultrasonic examination
employing normal beam as well as longitudinal angle beam scanning has to be considered. The
austenitic stainless steel with varying thicknesses of weld ment in order to analyze the fundamental
aspects of beam propagation in carrying out a meaningful ultrasonic examination and evaluation of
the weld joints studied. The danger in the approach is that the technique which is satisfactory on one
weld may fail completely when applied to another, even though the second one has been fabricated
using identical procedures. The PFBR reactor assembly components are large in size with Principal
material of austenitic stainless steel 316LN with different weld configurations are needed to be
examined by ultrasonic examination. This paper describes typical weld configuration of Single vee,
Double vee of T, K, Y type austenitic stainless steel weld joints for PFBR components have been
validated for ultrasonic examination.
2.0 Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds, Effects of Microstructures Grain Growth and
Metallurgical Variables towards Ultrasonic Examination:
The grain structure in austenitic welds differs markedly from that of Ferritic steel welds. In both
welds, the solidification process during welding initially produces a columnar grain structure in
each weld bead and grain growth along the maximum thermal gradients in the bead. The grain
growth in this particular direction faster than in other directions and leads to the rapid disappearance
of unfavorably oriented grains. Deposition of subsequent weld metal reheats the bead, in the case of
a Ferritic weld, the columnar grain structure is destroyed by the austenitic- ferrite phase
transformation that occurs as the solid cools. No such transition occurs in the austenitic alloys
considered and consequently the columnar grain structure formed. Furthermore, each new weld
bead re-melts the surface of the preceding beads and the new grains epiaxial on the existing ones
with several centimeters. The local direction of growth of the columnar grains is governed by the
thermal gradient with in the weld bead and in turn is influenced by the welding procedure, with in
each bead; the gradient is determined by the solid metal in contact with the bead as it cools.
Different type of welding procedures produces their own characteristic grain pattern. Generally
columnar grain will start to grow perpendicular to the surface of the weld edge preparation.
However they may gradually alter their direction in a manner depending on the welding process and
related heat flow during solidifications and shall be controlled by weld parameters, interpass
temperatures with minimum heat input to avoid cracks by fast air cooling or copper chills.
2.1 Velocity, Attenuation and Beam Skewing:
Sound travels through a material at a velocity characteristic of that material, and the type of wave
being propagated. Velocity depends on the density and elasticity of the material and in bulk
modulus depends on poisons ratio. The major practical problem in ultrasonic examination of
austenitic weld is the occurrence of high attenuation and scattering which may the direction of the
ultrasonic beam in a weld material due to coarse grain combination grain at HAZ. Scatter also
depends upon material being tested, the larger the grain size, the grater the scatter. Transparency of
ultrasonic sound in austenitic weld and noise ratio achievable depend on attenuation. The
attenuation is minimum at 45 and maximum at 0 and 90. The skewing effect of beam is the result
of multiple refraction at successive in the grain face. In addition, the columnar structure of the weld
control of beam skewing and beam deviation is zero at 45.
Sl.no Groove Calibratio Orientation Dimension of calibration Depth of hole from top
Type n Block of Defects block (mm) surface of weld (mm)
No in weld Length Width Thickne 1 st 2 nd 3rd hole
ss hole hole
1 Double 1 Longitudin 300 100 30/40 10 15/20 20/35
V al
2 Transverse 300 100 30/40 10 15/20 20/35
2 K Type 3 Longitudin 200 100 25/30 10 13/15 20/25
al
4 Transverse 300 100 25/30 10 13/15 20/25
3 T Joint 5 Longitudin 175 75 40 10 15 25
al
Transverse 175 75 40 10 15 25
1 1 1
2 2 2
3 3 3
4 4
5 5
Table IVWSY 45
Table V WSY 60
Table VI WSY 70
5.0 Improved Methodology for configurations and Scan Limits for Both Surfaces of Welds:
Austenitic weld inspections using longitudinal angle beam inspection is limited to zero to half skip
distance and associate with shear waves existing in the material with a low angle of incidence.
Beyond half skip distance, the reflections from the far off boundary may cause mode converted
echoes and give rise to mis- interpretation of signals in the CRT. Unlike the single vee and double
vee welds. T, K, Y welds has different characteristics and placement of holes plays an important
role in establishing the DAC. When considering the limitation with respect to scan limits of
longitudinal angle beam probe (0 to half skip), the plot of DAC points becomes important to inspect
the full volume of the weld area and the heat-affected zone. The weld crown width is around 20mm
from the vertical fusion face. The inspection zone is total weld plus13mm form the fusion faces
which amounts to 13+20+13=46mm.
6.0 Conclusion:
The general concept of taking the back wall echo from the parent metal or weld as reference for any
normal and angle beam examination on austenitic stainless steel weldment is no longer an effective
method especially the weld configuration are of T, K ,Y type austenitic stainless steel of critical
weld joints for reactor components. Ultrasonic examination of austenitic stainless steel welds has
been considered as difficult due to high level of scatter, attenuation, often prevents observation of
defects by low signal to noise ratio, beam splitting and skewing effects and spurious echo from weld
hinder interpretation and is much more complicated with typical T, K, Y type weld joints are taken
in to consideration and developed ultrasonic test procedure for various welding position, process
and thickness etc.
It is always essential that standard side drilled holes (SDH) on the weld at various locations to cover
entire volume of typical T, K, Y type weld joints, should be made as reference for austenitic welds,
for normal and angle beam ultrasonic examination.