Seismic re-evaluation of piping systems of heavy water plant, Kota

Heavy Water Plant, Kota is the first indigenous heavy water plant built in India. The plant started operation in the year 1985 and it is approaching the completion of its originally stipulated design life. In view of the excellent record of plant operation for the past so many years, it has been planned to carry out various exercises for the life extension of the plant. In the first stage, evaluation of operation stresses was carried out for the process critical piping layouts and equipment, which are connected with 25 process critical nozzle locations, identified based on past history of the plant performance. Fatigue life evaluation has been carried out to fmd out the Cumulative Usage Factor, which helps in arriving at a decision regarding the life extension of the plant. The results of these exercises have been already reported separately vide BARC/200I /E/O04. In the second stage, seismic reevaluation of the plant has been carried out to assess its ability to maintain its integ:rity in case of a seismic event. The aim of this exercise is to assess the effects of the maximum probable earthquake at the plant site on the various systems and components of the plant. This exercise is further aimed at ensuring the adequacy of seismic supports to maintain the integrity of the system in case of a seismic event and to suggest some retrofitting measures, if required. Seismic re-evaluation of the piping of Heavy Water Plant, Kota has been performed taking into account the interaction effects from the connected equipment. Each layout has been qualified using the latest provisions of ASME Code Section III, Subsection ND wherein the earthquake loading has been considered as a reversing dynamic load. The maximum combined stresses for all the layouts due to pressure, weight and seismic loadings have been found to be well within the code allowable limit. Therefore, it has been concluded that during a maximum probable seismic event, the possibility of pipe rupture can be safe