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Corrosion Resistant Pipework Benefits Nuclear Industry
01 Mar 2007
The UK nuclear industry is set to adopt much more widespread use of long life polyethylene piping in power plants to replace coated steel which is subject to corrosion failure. This follows extensive technical in situ testing by Boulting Nuclear. The specialist company is part of the £55m engineering solutions company Boulting Group plc.
Trials on PE piping began at Heysham nuclear power station after increasing frustration over the frequency with which traditional coated carbon steel water pipework needed replacement. Corrosion, lining failure and bore reduction can take its toll on steel piping in as little as eight years. PE piping, however, has a lifespan of 50 years or more – effectively outlasting the life of a nuclear power plant.
Boulting Nuclear is the first company to successfully introduce PE pipework into the nuclear industry. Their system is also the first in the world to be seismically designed to guarantee the strength and flexibility to meet nuclear industry standards of withstanding seismic movement.
The benefits of Boulting Nuclear’s PE piping systems include; freedom from corrosion, internal bore of pipe maintained as PE piping repels marine life which cause internal sludge in traditional steel piping and cost savings over traditional steel piping. Costs of large bore PE piping and steel piping are broadly similar, but lightweight and flexible PE piping is easier to install than heavy rigid steel pipework, and future replacement is not necessary.
www.boulting.co.uk
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