MANUFACTURE, RESIDUAL STRESS MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF A VVER-440 NOZZLE MOCKUP

As part of the STYLE EU FP7 project a modified 1:5 scale replica of a VVER-440 type reactor pressure vessel inlet nozzle was manufactured. The nozzle included a dissimilar metal weld of the type found in full-scale nozzles. This scale model was developed to permit accurate measurements to be made and detailed finite element (FE) models to be developed without recourse to using a full scale mock-up. It was also found that a full-scale mock-up would not permit the application of certain residual stress measurement methods. Temperatures and displacements were recorded during welding of the dissimilar metals, with measurements used to guide simulation of the welding process using finite element models. Through thickness residual stress profiles were measured using a comprehensive range of different techniques, such as deep hole drilling, neutron diffraction, magnetic Barkhausen noise. Usage of contour method had been planned too, but it but could not be accomplished in due time. The measured residual stresses obtained by the different methods are presented and compared. Measured residual stresses, temperatures and displacements were then used to validate the results derived from the FE model.