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Conference Article: The early operation of the helical once-through boilers at Heysham 1 and Hartlepool

Mathews, A.J. (Heysham 1 Power Station, Central Electricity Generating Board, Heysham (United Kingdom))

Abstract

The Heysham 1 and Hartlepool AGR Reactors are equipped with 'pod' boilers set into the walls of the Pre-stressed Concrete Pressure Vessel. Each Reactor unit has eight pod boilers, which are of a somewhat unique single pressure, once through, helically wound type incorporating a reheater. The pods are provided with a limited amount of strain gauge and thermocouple instrumentation concentrated mainly in two specially instrumented boilers at each site. During Commissioning prior to power raising, extensive noise and vibration tests utilising the special attain gauge instrumented boilers, gave encouraging results. This has led to an increase in coolant gas mass flow of 5% above the design level. Following power raising in 1983 and 1984, detailed boiler performance testing, mainly using the special thermocouple instrumented boilers, showed that the actual behaviour differed from the computer design predictions. A major temperature tilt existed across the boiler tubes resulting in higher than predicted temperatures in the outer radius rows of tubes and the reverse situation in the inner tubes. The effect differed in magnitude between Hartlepool Reactor 1 and the other three Reactors probably due to construction differences. As a result output was initially limited to approximately 58% of design (380 MW (Generated)). A major programme of altering the flow control ferrules was carried out during the first statutory overhauls in 1985 and 1986. The initial results from Heysham 1 were not very encouraging (a gain of 70 MW(e)) but further computer model correlations led to revised patterns in Heysham and Hartlepool Reactor 2 which have since yielded improvements in output potential of up to 200 MW(e). The paper discusses the commissioning test results described above and describes the details of the extensive work carried out to achieve higher output.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Specialists' meeting on technology of steam generators for gas-cooled reactors Winterthur (Switzerland) 9-12 Mar 1987
International Atomic Energy Agency, International Working Group on Gas-Cooled Reactors, Vienna (Austria)
IWGGCR--15, pp:49-56