Westinghouse’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation Improves Safety and Efficiency in Operating Nuclear Reactors
26 Junio 2024 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
This industry-first milestone increases bottom
nozzle debris resistance from 65% to 96%
In an industry first, Westinghouse Electric Company used
additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate bottom nozzles that
improve debris capture and fuel endurance within its fuel
assemblies. The nozzles were integrated into four Lead Test
Assemblies delivered to Alabama Power’s Joseph M. Farley Nuclear
Plant operated by Southern Nuclear, in the first quarter of
2024.
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Image of a Westinghouse fuel assembly
bottom nozzle fabricated using additive manufacturing. (Photo:
Business Wire)
Debris-wearing action on the fuel rod cladding – known as debris
fretting – is the primary source of leaks in Pressurized Water
Reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies. AM technology offers significant
improvements in debris filtering thanks to enhanced design freedom
which reduces the diameter of debris that can enter into the
reactor. In testing, the additively manufactured components
demonstrated a 30% improvement in debris resistance.
“Over the past decade, Southern Nuclear has led the industry in
the development and implementation of new technologies that improve
fuel resiliency,” said Southern Nuclear President Pete Sena. “The
existing nuclear power fleet is the backbone of our country’s clean
energy supply, and we are innovating nuclear fuel today to be more
robust in order to deliver safer, more affordable, and more
reliable carbon-free clean nuclear power for decades to come.”
“Our additive manufacturing technology is allowing us to achieve
breakthrough performance with an immediate positive impact for our
customers,” said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear
Fuel. “This significant technology innovation for PWR reactors
mitigates the risk of leakage in the fuel rods due to the
accumulation of debris, strengthening the safety and efficiency of
our customers’ operations.”
This milestone demonstrates Westinghouse’s leadership in the
nuclear industry to achieve cutting-edge solutions using AM
techniques. In 2015, the company conducted the first-ever material
irradiation study of AM nuclear components. In 2020, Westinghouse
installed the first-ever safety-related AM component, a Thimble
Plugging Device, into an operating commercial reactor, and in 2024
Westinghouse produced the 1,000th Additive Manufacturing Component
for VVER-440 Fuel.
Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of
carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear and other
clean power technologies and services globally. Westinghouse
supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor in
1957 and the company’s technology is the basis for nearly one-half
of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of
innovation make Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced
technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For
more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us
on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
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