Development of inspection modality for shell weld of core support structure of a fast breeder reactor using CIVA

Abstract

The core support structure is welded with a 40 mm thick base plate of the main vessel, of 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, Kalpakkam, India, along the circumference. This ‘shell weld’ situated at a distance of about 435 mm away from the weld overlay, is in‐accessible to contact mode ultrasonic testing during in‐service inspection. An unconventional ultrasonic methodology was developed for this purpose. This inspection modality is validated using the ultrasonic module of CIVA simulation software. There is reasonable agreement with experimental measurements.