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A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-124).
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Mechanical Engineering
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613153987133440 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Damon, Randolph |
| author2 | Tait, Robert B |
| author_browse | Damon, Randolph Tait, Robert B |
| author_facet | Tait, Robert B Damon, Randolph |
| author_sort | Damon, Randolph |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-124). |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/5571 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:35.974Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/5571 A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators Damon, Randolph Tait, Robert B Mechanical Engineering Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-124). The susceptibility of Steam Generator (SG) Tubes (particularly tubes manufactured from Inconel 600) to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) has been a major concern to the nuclear industry since 1971, when this phenomenon was first observed outside the laboratory. Since the susceptibility of Inconel 600 to PWSCC in pure water was first established as a certainty, various electricity utilities have devoted considerable resources to determining the exact nature of this degradation phenomenon and to predicting its consequences. Whereas, the study of the nature of this degradation mechanism has led to many conflicting conclusions, the predictive methods developed have been more successful. Initially, the establishment of the Leak Before Risk of Break principle has allowed various utilities to justify SG operation with cracked tubes. Later, the development of probabilistic simulation methods, most notably by EdF and the Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI), have led to further justification of the existing maintenance regimes and also allowed the ability to do sensitivity studies with regards to various influencing parameters. The current maintenance regime at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station (near Cape Town, South Africa) utilises tube plugging (when cracks exceed a certain length limit) and online leak detection (based on detection of radioactive Nitrogen 16) as the main means of ensuring safe SG operation. However, the plugging limit used is based on a conservative deterministic analysis, which may be penalising in some situations. Thus, the need for risk-based SG life-time optimisation was evident. 2014-07-31T11:30:31Z 2014-07-31T11:30:31Z 2004 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5571 eng application/pdf Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Mechanical Engineering Damon, Randolph A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators |
| title_full | A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators |
| title_fullStr | A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators |
| title_full_unstemmed | A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators |
| title_short | A probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the Koeberg steam generators |
| title_sort | probabilistic fracture mechanics model for the tubing degradation of the koeberg steam generators |
| topic | Mechanical Engineering |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5571 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT damonrandolph aprobabilisticfracturemechanicsmodelforthetubingdegradationofthekoebergsteamgenerators AT damonrandolph probabilisticfracturemechanicsmodelforthetubingdegradationofthekoebergsteamgenerators |