French developments for improving In Service Inspection of SFRs

Abstract

International audienceIn Service Inspection (ISI) is a major issue to be taken into account for future Sodium Fast Reactors safety, thus, a large R&D work is performed since 2010 in France for the future SFRs. ISI requirements have been taken into account since the early pre-conceptual design phase (specific rules for design have been merged into RCC-MRx design rules until 2012), then consolidated through the basic design phase with more detailed specifications leading to increase the ISI tools ability for immersed sodium structures of SFRs, at about 200°C (shut down conditions). Inspection within the main vessel are planned with transducers immersed in sodium and also with transducers located out of sodium medium. Finally, the qualification of ISI ultrasonic transducers (for Non Destructive Examination, Telemetry and Imaging) is being performed with experimental water and sodium testing, to be compared to simulation with CIVA software platform results. A pluri-annual R&D program mainly deals with the reactor block structures, the primary components and circuit, and the Power Conversion System. Specific developments have been performed for NDE of thick austenitic steel welds, NDE using guided Lamb waves, telemetry from the outside of reactor vessel, imaging of immersed structures and components within the large primary vessel (in a pool type reactor concept) and associated in sodium robotics (with in-sodium tightness). Some results of testing and simulation are given for some ASTRID project applications