Our Case Studies Fatigue risk evaluation of pressure vessel plug subject to flow-induced vibration

ICONE2020 PAPER

The steam generator (SG) channel head forms part of the reactor coolant pressure boundary and is of high nuclear safety duty. The channel head failure is considered intolerable and there are no reasonably practicable physical provisions available to protect against consequences. Vibration of the drain plug due to coolant flow may result in fatigue-induced failure of the channel head drain penetration weld. In this study, random vibration analyses and a fatigue assessment have been carried out for a submerged drain plug in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) SG channel head.