A review on failure behavior and life prediction of circulation pumps in lead-bismuth eutectic cooled reactors

ABSTRACT

In advanced nuclear power systems, structure materials have compatibility problems with lead-bismuth eutectic coolants such as liquid metal corrosion, and the corrosion failure behavior of the circulation pump is one of the main causes of nuclear safety accidents. Specifically, this paper reviews the failure behavior of the main pump in a flowing lead-bismuth environment for a prolonged period, alongside the prediction of the impeller blade’s fatigue life. The development process and main structure of the nuclear reactor are introduced, and the failure behavior and influencing factors of the impeller blade of the main pump are discussed in detail. This paper also provides an in-depth analysis of material composition, oxygen content, temperature, corrosion time, relative velocity, and coating, to identify the failure reason and mechanism of the structural components featuring austenitic stainless steel as the main material. Finally, the fatigue life of the impeller and its prediction model are described from the perspective of fatigue failure, and the reliability analysis of fatigue life prediction is analyzed.

KEYWORDS:

• Pump impeller
• lead-bismuth eutectic
• failure behavior
• life prediction
• nuclear power system

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).