Breaking the mold? Try eliminating the mold altogether.
Stress corrosion and thermal cycling cracks are common flaws discovered during outage inspections. A structural weld overlay (SWOL) is the addition of weld reinforcement material on the outside surface of a pipe to a sufficient thickness and extent to create a new structural barrier. Additionally, it places the inner diameter surface of the component in a more favorable compressive stress state. It has earned recognition as a safe, problem-free means of crack mitigation and pipe repair.
Westinghouse has developed an integrated process for responding to an emergent need for a SWOL design integrating engineering, weld application and post-weld inspection to help reduce the time and cost of these repairs. Using generic SWOL designs for multiple nozzle, pipe and fitting configurations that were developed in conjunction with Westinghouse welding and non-destructive examination experts, this methodology allows for timely adaptation and implementation of these designs.
Westinghouse’s interdisciplinary team of experienced staff provides the skillful performance needed for the implementation of all SWOL elements including evaluation, design, implementation and post-implementation inspection. Our non-destructive evaluation (NDE) experts are qualified and certified in compliance with American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section XI and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Materials Reliability Program (MRP) guidelines. To-date, Westinghouse has installed more than 300 (SWOL) installations in PWR and BWR plants across the globe utilizing plant-specific design data for Westinghouse and CE-designed units.
Through an integrated approach to provide full-scope SWOL support, Westinghouse confirms our commitment to our customers to develop and deliver solutions to help shorten outage duration and reduce costs.
Please contact Marketing Manager Bruce Monty at 1-412-374-4249 for more information.
Additional Resources
Structural Weld Overlay Design, Qualification and Application
