Time-Limited Aging Analysis of the Containment of Nuclear Power Plants without Monitoring Tendons

Abstract

A prestressed concrete containment is the enclosure structure of a nuclear reactor that serves as the last physical barrier of a nuclear power plant (NPP) safety defense system. It plays a key role in the prestress time-limited aging analysis (TLAA) required for operating license extensions for NPPs. Considering prestress containment systems without long-term monitoring tendons in a nuclear power plant, the technical route for prestress TLAAs involves analyzing operating license extension regulations and in-service monitoring technical requirements for prestressed tendons performance. Using tendons based on theoretical calculations of prestress loss in a nuclear power plant and the minimum required value of prestress determined by numerical simulation, the theoretical predictive value can be compared with the minimum required value for prestressed steel tendons. This comparison can be used to evaluate the 20-year life extension of the prestress system and provide a reference for aging and life management of NPPs.

Keywords

• Time-Limited Aging Analysis (TLAA)
• containment
• nuclear power plant
• prestressed steel tendons