Babcock & Wilcox Water Loop Design

Babcock & Wilcox Canada Ltd. is located in Cambridge, Ontario. The company deals with many clients within the nuclear power industry including CANDU® reactor parts suppliers. The CANDU® reactor system contains feeder pipes which are part of the primary heat transport system (PHTS). This system encompasses the pipes and vessels that the heavy water passes through as it travels from the pressure tubes in the reactor, which contain the nuclear fuel, to the steam generators, where the energy in the heavy water is transferred to the light feed water, and back again. The energy entering the feed water causes it to increase in temperature, which in turn leads to the formation of steam. During the process of the heavy water travelling through the outlet feeder pipes, iron from the pipes corrodes into the heavy water, causing the pipe wall to thin over time. Therefore, it has become necessary to generate repair or inspection procedures for this type of degradation.