Abstract
In support of evaluating long-term operational performance of materials used in core internal components, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program, has obtained specimens machined from two high fluence baffle-former bolts (BFBs) retrieved from a Westinghouse two-loop downflow type pressurized water reactor (PWR). The bolt material is type 347 austenitic stainless steel and the calculated irradiation damage levels range from 15 to 41 displacements per atom. Electron microscopy characterization was performed on one of the two retrieved BFBs to evaluate radiation-induced damages, such as dislocation loops, cavities, segregation, precipitation, etc. Results from this study should fill the current knowledge gap in radiation-induced microstructural changes for type 347 austenitic stainless steels (SS) after high fluence PWR irradiation.*
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 532-538 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| State | Published - 2019 |
| Event | 19th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, EnvDeg 2019 - Boston, United States Duration: Aug 18 2019 → Aug 22 2019 |
Conference
| Conference | 19th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, EnvDeg 2019 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Boston |
| Period | 08/18/19 → 08/22/19 |
Funding
As one of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) internal components, baffle-former bolts (BFBs) are subjected to significant mechanical stress and neutron irradiation from the reactor core during the plant operation. Over the long operation period, these conditions lead to potential degradation and reduced load-carrying capacity of the bolts. The BFB has been a particular concern for the industry since the first *This manuscript has been authored in part by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan). This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, Materials Research Pathway, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC/Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The authors extend their appreciation to Mike Burke formerly of Westinghouse in sample preparation, machining, and shipping. The authors also would like to thank Heather Malikowski of Exelon Generation, Robert Marcello of R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant and Bernard Rudell formerly of Exelon Generation – Corporate Asset Management for their roles in preserving and making the ex-service bolts available. Lastly, we would like to thank Dr. Lizhen Tan and Dr. Maxim Gussev from ORNL for their technical review of this manuscript.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| LLC | |
| Materials Research Pathway | DE-AC05-00OR22725 |
| Office of Nuclear Energy, Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory |