Modification to 10 nozzles is nearing completion, while work on the remaining 14 is now underway. Dye-penetrant and ultrasonic testing will be performed to confirm the modifications before the plant is restarted
- By Chris Smith -
Inspection of control rod drive mechanism nozzles at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio, has been completed.
Initial testing in March of the 69 nozzles penetrating the reactor head identified 16 requiring modification. Additional testing on the nozzles began late last week and has identified 8 additional nozzles requiring modification. As a result, a total of 24 nozzles will be modified before the plant is restarted.
Modification to 10 nozzles is nearing completion, while work on the remaining 14 is now underway. Dye-penetrant and ultrasonic testing will be performed to confirm the modifications before the plant is restarted.
The modification process involves removing the lower half of each affected nozzle and re-welding and inspecting the remaining section to provide structural integrity.
Fuel will be reloaded into the reactor during the modification and testing of the affected nozzles. The reactor head then will be installed and the plant is expected to be ready for restart in July.
The 908-megawatt plant shut down for scheduled refueling and maintenance work on February 28.
Davis-Besse is part of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), a subsidiary of Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. ( FE).
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