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OSU Reactor Core The Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Lab (OSU-NRL) research reactor (OSURR), in operation since 1961, is a pool-type reactor licensed to operate at continuously variable thermal power up to a maximum of 500 kilowatts, and at maximum steady-state power. The reactor is immersed in a pool of light water that provides moderation and cooling by natural convective flow.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Kicks off EWI’s Push to Support the Nuclear Market

Steve Levesque | Project Manager

On November 6th, 2008 EWI was awarded a contract by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for welding technology and codes course development. The overall objective of this program is to provide personnel, facilities, instructional materials, and services necessary to prepare and teach a “Welding Technology and Codes” course and to provide specialized technical training in the field of welding technology. This custom developed course will be specifically for the NRC and will be delivered/taught to NRC staff.

This program is planned as a 5-year initiative with options for renewal at the end of each program year. In order to offer the highest value to the NRC, EWI has partnered with The Ohio State University’s Welding Engineering program, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Engineering Mechanics Corporation of Columbus (EMC2).

The NRC program is one of several programs that EWI has been working on to create a venue to supporting the nuclear industry as it moves into the next new-build period for the United States. Other examples of EWI’s efforts in the nuclear industry include the creation of the Nuclear Fabrication Consortium (NFC) and the development of a program for the State of Ohio.

EWI founded the NFC earlier this year as a means to supplement the available technology for fabrication of new nuclear power plants. The kick-off meeting for the NFC yielded 65 attendees from 48 different companies. During the break-out sessions, the NFC attendees identified 8 topics of immediate opportunity for the consortium to address:

  1. Nuclear Specification Training - A 4-part workshop series covering the nuances of national and international specifications that govern the nuclear industry. The workshop will provide NFC members with the necessary knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about fabrication and design issues that require code concurrence.

  2. Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) for Nuclear Materials - The core program will be focused on explaining the critical features of SCC: when it occurs, how to prevent it, and inspection methods to identify SCC after the system is put in service.

  3. Fuel Rod Fabrication and Inspection Improvements - This program will build upon traditional zirconium and zircalloy 4-rod fabrication looking at new technologies, as well as investigating fabrication techniques for conceptual fuel rod materials like silicon carbide.

  4. Lessons Learned Study - The NFC will develop and conduct a broad industry survey to identify lessons learned through industry practice. The information gathered will be used to develop a series of examples of what does and does not work based on industry experience. This is envisioned to be relevant to commercial and Navy nuclear fabrication.

  5. How to be a Nuclear Supplier – This program will help organizations gear up for the next wave of nuclear fabrication, including how to get N-stamps and DOE clearance. Although premature at this time, it is believed that this program could migrate into an industry-wide supplier development program which would house a database for locating and filtering nuclear suppliers.

  6. Laser Hybrid for Nuclear Fabrication - This program will demonstrate the limits of laser hybrid on materials of concern for nuclear applications (316L, IN690, A508, A738, P91, etc.). The program will focus on bringing the nuclear industry up to par with other industries with regard to laser hybrid, including how the technology impacts inspection and ancillary fabrication issues such as distortion.

  7. Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW) of Tube Sheet - Similar to laser hybrid, this program will demonstrate the limits of DRW on materials of concern for nuclear tube sheets. When properly implemented, DRW offers tube sheet fabricators an improvement in productivity byorder of magnitude.

  8. State-of-the-Art Welding and Inspection Reference Database - This initiative will include development of a detailed reference program illustrating technologies currently being used by all industries. It will demonstrate the applications where each technology could be deployed in the nuclear industry.

Parallel to the NRC and NFC efforts, EWI has been actively working to develop a proposal for the State of Ohio, which, if awarded, will allow the NFC to leverage consortium members’ funds to expand the core research topics described above.

The next NFC meeting will be held in early 2009, where the NRC and other programs will be unveiled to the consortium members. For more information about the NRC, NFC, or other EWI programs in the nuclear arena, please contact Steve Levesque at steve_levesque@ewi.org or call 614.688.5183.