Journal of NUCLEAR SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 38, No. 10, p.

887–890 (October 2001)

TECHNICAL REPORT

Newly Undertaken Inspections and Repairs

for Aged Nuclear Power Generators
Yoshihiro YAMASHITA∗
Nuclear Plant Service Engineering Department, Hitachi, Ltd., 3-1-1 Saiwai-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki 317-8511
(Received April 20, 2001 and accepted in revised form August 2, 2001)

Some of the Japan’s oldest nuclear generation plants are now entering their 30th year, which is close to their designed
lifespan. The Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants undertaken by utilities are to extend the lifetime
of plants to 60 years. Upon lifetime extension new rules must be applied and JSME (Japan Society of Mechanical
Engineers) issued new rules in May 2000. These rules define allowable flaw sizes in operating plant components. In
these circumstances, in-situ flaw sizing and repairs are urgently needed. Accordingly, laser inspections such as laser
UT and laser holography and low heating repairs such as underwater laser welding and friction surfacing are being
developed.
KEYWORDS: inspection, repair, nondestructive testing, nuclear power plants, SCC, laser ultrasonics, laser
holography, friction welding, laser welding, underwater welding

I. Introduction poration) laboratory, and there is an ongoing METI (Ministry

of Economy, Trade and Industry) project to develop a laser
Laser technology applications have mostly been developed
inspection method for in-situ plant work in small spaces. We
in the nuclear industries. The Rules on fitness-for-service for
will introduce these new laser inspection methods following
nuclear power plants issued in May 2000 fundamentally im-
the Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants is-
proved nuclear maintenance concepts. The code defines al-
sued in May 2000.
lowable flaw sizes in operating nuclear plant components, and
under such circumstances flaw sizing technology is urgently
needed. This paper introduces the concept of laser inspection III. New Rules, In-situ Inspections and Repairs
technology and maintenance developed by Hitachi, Ltd. to The Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants
enable advanced and time efficient inspections. issued in May 2000 by JSME (JSME S NA1-2000) updated
nuclear plant maintenance policy from not accepting any
II. Background flaws to allowing flaws within an allowable size. A com-
ponent that has a flaw within the allowable range can con-
Japan’s commercial nuclear power generators entered com-
tinue operation. The allowable flaw size varies with the ma-
mission in 1970 and 40% of electricity is currently gener-
terial (austenitic stainless and ferritic steel), thickness, and
ated by nuclear power. But a serious recession hit Japan in
flaw configuration and geometrical proportion. The assess-
1991, from which it has been difficult to recover. It arose
ment and maintenance policy are shown in the flow chart in
from the matured economic structure, which provided little
Fig. 1.1) These policies are a drastic improvement on the pre-
chance for further growth. With this in mind, nuclear power
vious maintenance policy for nuclear power companies, and
companies have been studying the extension of plant life to
these rules will realize very acceptable, cost-effective and
60 years. Some nuclear power plants are already 30 years
reasonable plant maintenance. But the process of applying
old. JSME (Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers) issued
these rules needs accurate and acceptable inspection meth-
Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants in May
ods for measuring flaw sizes. In-situ plant inspection work
2000, which defines allowable flaw sizes in operating nuclear
is performed in radioactive operation spaces, which are much
power plants. Detailed inspections will be performed in ac-
smaller than factory production lines. Further, some in-core
cordance with this rule. Flaws within the allowable size do
inspections must be performed under a 30 m depth of water.
not require integrity analysis. Detailed inspections are due at
This is mainly for radiation shielding. Without a water drain,
nuclear power plants that have been operating for 30 years,
a considerable radiation shielding structure will have to be set
and in addition to conventional methods such as ultrasonic,
up before inspection work. Instead of contact sensors such as
radiation, and dye penetrant inspections, there is also an ur-
conventional ultrasonic transducers, such a situation will re-
gent need for inspections based on new principles to real-
quire remote sensors such as laser ultrasonic and laser holog-
ize accurate and swift flaw sizing. Necessary repairs must
raphy sensors. Laser sensors enable remote sensing and swift
be done under very low heat input, because aged component
scanning.
materials are significantly decreased in ductility. Laser under-
water repair facilities have already been operating since 1998
at JAPEIC’s (Japan Power Engineering and Inspection Cor-
IV. Laser Sensing Adopts New Rules
Almost all nuclear power plant components such as reactor
∗ vessels and piping have a metallic cylindrical structure. Laser
Corresponding author, Tel. +81-294-23-5354, Fax. +81-294-23-
6748, E-mail: yoshihiro yamashita@pis.hitachi.co.jp
887
888 Y. YAMASHITA

Annual Inspection

[Current Situation]
Detection on Cracking

No

Smaller than Yes

Modeling on Cracking Allowable Cracking
Configuration Size

No

Continue Operation Repairing or

Cracking Propagation Replacement
Analysis by Fracture
Mechanics

Smaller than
Cracking Sizing at next Critical Cracking
Inspection
Size Yes

No

Fig. 1 Flow chart of Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants

Pulsed laser Probe Laser

Crack Edge
Edge Echo
Tip Echo

Crack Tip

Fig. 3 Flaw sizing principle using laser ultrasonic test

nuclear component SCC flaw. This surface flaw detection in

Fig. 2 Digital image using pulsed laser holography
scanning is suitable for such cylindrical structures. Further-
more, aged component flaws are almost all SCC (Stress Cor-
rosion Cracking), and SCC flaws propagate from an under-
water material surface. A new laser macro inspection method
developed by the authors applies pulsed laser holography,2)
which in microseconds enables in-situ detection of surface
flaws on a substrate surface area of more than 200 mm in di-
ameter. A pulsed laser holography digital image of a detected
surface flaw is shown in Fig. 2, in which the substrate was
20 mm thick ferritic steel. This simulated the detection of a
thick plate applying a pulsed ESPI (Electro Speckle Pattern
Interferometory) was an outstanding result in place of a con-
ventional dye penetrant, and the author does not know of any
other example performed elsewhere. This method realizes ac-
curate, remote and timesaving SCC detection at the location
of the dye penetrant. Further, the SCC flaw surface length
can be detected from the digital image. After that, the laser
holographic macro detection surface flaw height can be de-
tected by a laser ultrasonic method. This detected flaw size
will be assessed according to the allowable flaw sizes de-
fined by the Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear power
plants (JSME S NA1-2000). Any SCC flaws must be sur-
face flaws, and it would be very reasonable to apply a sur-
face wave (Rayleigh wave). Figure 3 shows the principle of
detecting flaw height with a laser-induced Rayleigh wave by

JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Newly Undertaken Inspections and Repairs for Aged Nuclear Power Generators 889
Receiver Exciter Reactor Cylindrical Structure

Beam Scanning Direction

48mm

Speckle Pattern Stripe

0.08 4
Reflected Pattern
X=10mm
0.04 2 SCC Crack

Pulsed Laser Beam

0.00 0
Voltage [V]

0.08 4
X=17.5mm
0.04 2
Ful l-field Inspection Laser Holography Detector
0.00 0
0.08 4
X=25mm
0.04 2 Flaw Hight Sizing

0.00 0

0 10 20 30 40
Time [ s]
SCC Crack
Scanning Direction
Fig. 4 Pulse echo using laser ultrasonic test
Probe Laser Beam

TOF (Time of Flight).3) Figure 4 shows our experimental re-

sults using laser ultrasonic test, where a 2 mm height flaw
Laser UT Detector
was detected from three different points, 10 mm, 17.5 mm and
25 mm from flaw edge. The laser sensing hybrid method, a
full-field inspection by ESPI as the first stage and flaw height
sizing by laser ultrasonic test as the second stage, that we per-
Fig. 5 Hybrid laser sensing method
formed on aged nuclear power generators is shown in Fig. 5.
Very accurate in sub-mm and timesaving in-situ SCC inspec-
tions, both in detection and flaw sizing, are realized by this
double stage inspection method.
Flaw Detection
V. Newly Developed In-situ Repairing Concept
New Rules Applied
As the author described above, a nuclear power generator Conventional Work

can continue operation if a component’s flaw size is within the Replace Components Repair after Grooving Crack
allowable flaw size as defined by JSME rules. Conventional
repair methods such as replacing components or completely Grooved Trench
eliminating flaws are improved rationally under these rules, Crack
and new repair concepts such as surface sealing weld repairs
shown in Fig. 6 become available after flaw size assessment.
These repairs will be done by underwater laser repairs,4) fric-
tion surfacing and so on5, 6) as low heating repairs. The reason
for the low heating method is because of the reduced ductility Welded Deposit
of aged materials.

VI. Conclusions
The newly issued Rules on fitness-for-service for nuclear
power plants defines allowable flaw sizes in operating nuclear No Repair on Analysis Repair by Seam -Welding
power plants. Hitachi, Ltd. has developed laser inspection
technology that realizes timesaving in-situ flaw sizing. After
such an inspection, low heating repairs can be performed such
as underwater laser welding or friction surfacing.

SCC Crack
SCC Crack
References Prevent SCC Propagation

1) JSME, Rules on Fitness-for-service for Nuclear Power Plants,

Fig. 6 In-situ repairs under new concept
JSMESNAI-2000, p. 6–13 (2000).

VOL. 38, NO. 10, OCTOBER 2001

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2) Tinziani Pedrini, “Double Pulse-ESPI for vibration analysis,”
Appl. Opt., 33, 7857–7863 (1994).
3) C. B. Scruby, L. E. Drain, Laser Ultrasonics, Adam Hilger,
p. 342–347 (1990).
4) Y. Yamashita, “Underwater laser welding in nuclear power
plants,” J. Jpn. Laser Processing Soc., 6[3], 320–321 (1999).
Y. YAMASHITA
5) Y. Yamashita, “Investigation of application of friction welding
method to dissimilar welded joints for electric power plants,” J.
JFWA, 3, 73–80 (1996).
6) Y. Yamashita, “Investigation of application of friction welding
method to dissimilar welded joints for electric power plants,” J.
JFWA, 4 38–44 (1997).
JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY