Electron Beam Welding of Large Components for The Nuclear Industry

Abstract

The nuclear industry requires rapid and high quality joining of large scale components. Electron beam welding (EBW) has the potential to respond to these requirements. The aim of Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) is to develop solutions for the future application of this technology. One example is the research on deep penetration EBW for joining large scale pressure vessels for small modular nuclear reactors. This will require several circumferential welds of ~ 6 metres length each. In addition joining of sections of the upper and lower vessel heads and of HIP sections with varying wall thickness must be developed. In collaboration with the US Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) the Nuclear AMRC is working to produce two-thirds scaled demonstrators of the lower and the upper pressure vessel assembly (based on a generic NuScale model). 100 mm deep single track, full penetration welds of pressure vessel steel have been demonstrated. In addition, within 26 minutes joining of shells was achieved with 6 metres long circumferential welds (78 mm full penetration). In future the joining of complex sections and sections with variable thickness will be investigate.