Nuclear Piping Course

Lesson 1 • Regulatory Framework for Nuclear Piping

Surveys nuclear safety authority requirements, quality assurance programmes, and code compliance obligations. Frames the regulatory context for all subsequent technical chapters.

Lesson 2 • Plant Fluid System Terminology

Defines pressure, temperature, flow, and quality parameters used in nuclear piping specifications. Builds vocabulary required for reading engineering documents.

Lesson 3 • Safety-Related Fluid Systems

Identifies emergency core cooling, residual heat removal, and containment spray systems. Establishes why these systems demand the highest piping quality standards.

Lesson 4 • Reactor Types and Primary Systems

Introduces pressurised and boiling water reactor designs and their primary coolant loops. Connects reactor type to piping material and pressure requirements.

Lesson 1 • Piping Classification Systems

Explains safety class 1, 2, and 3 designations and their non-nuclear seismic categories. Connects classification to required design margins and inspection frequency.

Lesson 2 • ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code

Covers Section III nuclear components code requirements for design, materials, and fabrication. Students identify applicable code subsections for each piping class.

Lesson 3 • Quality Assurance Requirements

Details the 18 quality assurance criteria applied to nuclear piping procurement and installation. Links QA requirements to documentation and traceability obligations.

Lesson 4 • Reading Nuclear Piping Specifications

Trains students to extract classification, material, and examination requirements from piping specifications. Reinforces code knowledge through document interpretation exercises.

Lesson 1 • Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Piping

Covers grades, heat treatment states, and mechanical properties of carbon and low-alloy steels. Establishes baseline material knowledge for the most common nuclear piping.

Lesson 2 • Material Identification and Traceability

Teaches heat number verification, material test report review, and positive material identification methods. Ensures students can confirm material conformance before installation.

Lesson 3 • Pipe Fittings, Flanges, and Valves

Identifies butt-weld fittings, socket-weld fittings, flanges, and valve body materials. Connects component selection to pressure class and code compliance.

Lesson 4 • Stainless Steel and Nickel Alloys

Addresses austenitic stainless steel grades and nickel-based alloys used in high-temperature, corrosive service. Highlights sensitisation risks and delta ferrite controls.

Lesson 1 • Fit-Up and Alignment Procedures

Teaches pipe alignment, gap control, and tack weld placement to achieve proper joint geometry. Correct fit-up directly affects weld quality and stress distribution.

Lesson 2 • Fabrication Documentation and Control

Establishes traveller packages, weld maps, and dimensional inspection records required for nuclear fabrication. Links documentation to code compliance and QA traceability.

Lesson 3 • Pipe Bending and Forming

Addresses cold bending, hot bending, and induction bending processes for nuclear piping. Covers wall thinning calculations and post-bend examination requirements.

Lesson 4 • Threaded and Mechanical Joints

Covers threaded joint assembly, torque requirements, and mechanical coupling installation for instrument and small-bore piping. Addresses leak-tight assembly practices.

Lesson 1 • Welder Performance Qualification

Addresses welder qualification tests, position and diameter ranges, and continuity requirements. Ensures students understand qualification limits before assigning welders.

Lesson 2 • Preheat, Interpass, and PWHT Controls

Covers preheat temperature requirements, interpass temperature limits, and post-weld heat treatment procedures. Addresses monitoring, recording, and documentation obligations.

Lesson 3 • Welding Procedure Specifications

Explains essential, supplementary essential, and nonessential variables that define a WPS. Students identify when procedure requalification is required after variable changes.

Lesson 4 • Welding Processes for Nuclear Piping

Covers GTAW, SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes and their applicability to nuclear piping classes. Compares heat input, distortion, and quality characteristics of each process.

Lesson 1 • Visual and Liquid Penetrant Examination

Covers VT and PT methods, surface preparation, acceptance criteria, and documentation. Establishes the most fundamental examination methods used on every nuclear weld.

Lesson 2 • Magnetic Particle Examination

Addresses MT technique selection, magnetisation methods, and acceptance criteria for ferritic piping. Highlights limitations compared to PT for austenitic materials.

Lesson 3 • Radiographic Examination

Covers RT film and digital techniques, image quality indicators, and weld defect interpretation. Students evaluate radiographs against code acceptance standards.

Lesson 4 • Ultrasonic Examination

Teaches contact UT, angle beam scanning, and phased array methods for volumetric weld examination. Addresses calibration, scanning patterns, and flaw sizing.

Lesson 1 • Piping Support Types and Functions

Identifies rigid supports, spring hangers, snubbers, and anchors and their load-carrying roles. Connects support type selection to thermal expansion and seismic demands.

Lesson 2 • Piping Stress Analysis Fundamentals

Introduces sustained, thermal expansion, and occasional load categories used in stress analysis. Provides technicians with enough theory to interpret stress isometrics.

Lesson 3 • Support Installation and Inspection

Teaches field installation of supports, weld attachment inspection, and gap and clearance verification. Ensures installed supports match design drawings within tolerances.

Lesson 4 • Seismic Qualification of Piping

Covers seismic category requirements, design response spectra, and dynamic analysis concepts. Explains how seismic loads drive support spacing and snubber placement.

Lesson 1 • Pressure Test Requirements and Planning

Covers code-required test pressures, test fluid selection, and pre-test inspection requirements. Establishes the planning steps that prevent test failures and safety incidents.

Lesson 2 • System Flushing and Cleanliness

Teaches flushing velocity requirements, temporary strainer installation, and cleanliness acceptance criteria. Protects pumps, valves, and reactor internals from debris damage.

Lesson 3 • System Turnover Package Completion

Covers punch list resolution, as-built drawing verification, and final QA record package assembly. Marks the formal transfer of the system from construction to operations.

Lesson 4 • Pneumatic Test Procedures

Covers pneumatic test safety precautions, pressure increments, and bubble solution leak detection. Addresses the elevated risk profile compared to hydrostatic testing.