Westinghouse
Canvas Category OEM : Electrical Equipment
Westinghouse Electric Company is the world’s leading supplier of safe and innovative nuclear technology. We provide our utility customers around the world with the most reliable, dependable nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel, plant automation and operating plant products and services. We are driven by our powerful history and experience, ground-breaking ideas and our focus on safety and sustainability. At Westinghouse, we are focused on nuclear energy technology. Our goal is simple - to provide solutions to our customers to keep their plants safe, reliable and efficient. Helping our customers support the needs of their customers is why we are committed to quality, safety and innovation at every turn.
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At home with AM: Westinghouse on its adoption of additive manufacturing
Westinghouse, an American supplier of nuclear technology, believes it has the potential to step in. The company had been working to develop a fully Western VVER-440 nuclear fuel in the background, but now there was a need to accelerate that work.
By the time Adam Travis, Westinghouse Senior Manager & Additive Manufacturing Program Leader, was accepting a TCT Award for this endeavour, the company had manufactured more than 1,000 units. Two components in every assembly – the top and bottom flow plates – are additively manufactured with laser powder bed fusion technology in Stainless Steel 316L. Westinghouse believes the two plates to be the first ever safety-related AM components to enter serial production.
With such additive manufacturing accomplishment, Westinghouse fancies itself as the leader when it comes to deploying the technology in the nuclear industry. Attention is already turning to what comes next, with the additively manufactured bottom nozzles scheduled to enter serial production once sufficient operational experience has been accumulated in the next couple of years. The company also expects a similar outcome for its Stronghold AM filters for Boiling Water Reactors, and then the company’s sights are being set on integrating AM technology into some of its most advanced products.
Westinghouse Unveils Pioneering Nuclear Generative AI System
Westinghouse Electric Company launched its Hive™ nuclear-specific Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) System to deliver custom GenAI solutions for its global customer base. The Hive System will be a game-changing capability that will drive improved cost and schedule through the entire reactor lifecycle from design, licensing, manufacturing, construction and operations.
With the Hive System, customers gain access to more than 100 years of proprietary industry innovation and knowledge pioneered by Westinghouse, powered by its global team of engineers and data scientists, via a highly secure system infrastructure and software. By integrating the Hive System into its own products, services and processes, Westinghouse engineers drive enhancements to their operations and customer applications. Additionally, the Hive System helps customers optimize maintenance planning, enhance inspections and improve the digital user experience to provide operational teams with the right information at the right moment.
Westinghouse Electric Company additively manufactured bottom nozzles improve debris resistance by 30%
Westinghouse Electric Company has used additive manufacturing to produce bottom nozzles that are said to improve debris capture and fuel endurance within its Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies. The company believes this application of additive manufacturing is a world-first and ‘demonstrates its leadership in the nuclear industry to achieve cutting-edge solutions using AM techniques.’
Leveraging additive manufacturing, Westinghouse says the components have demonstrated a 30% improvement in debris resistance, thanks to significant improvements in debris filtering that are enabled by additive’s enhanced design freedom. The 3D printed parts are said to have reduced the diameter of debris that can enter into the reactor, reducing the likelihood of debris-wearing action on the fuel rod cladding (debris fretting). Debris fretting is considered to be the primary source of leaks in PWR fuel assemblies.