Laser Peening to Mitigate Stress Corrosion Cracking of Nuclear Power Facilities

Abstract

Nuclear power is experiencing a rebirth with new materials and technologies offering the potential to reduce issues of reactor safety and reliability. Laser Peening is a mitigation technology introduced to advanced production in 2002, providing high volume, cost effective processing. It is being used for aircraft, automotive and conventional electric power generation applications. The technology has been made transportable for deployment at aircraft hangers, marine shipyards and nuclear power facilities. We describe hardware and new approaches for peening inside of pipes and other confined or hard to reach areas. We present data on the fatigue and SCC benefits of laser peening in metals, including Alloy 600 and C22 as utilized in the nuclear industry.