Annual report 2009 - Siempelkamp

Sealing lids
Nuclear power plants are shut down at regular intervals and disconnected from the
power mains to carry out overhauls. Mandatory recurring checks are performed on
most components and internals of the power plant during these inspections
(e.g., main cooling water circuits).
For these inspections it is necessary to remove the cooling water from inside the
steam generators and main cooling water circuits. This requires a lengthy pumping
process. Using the reactor vessel sealing lid makes this pumping process and
the following return of the water unnecessary. Inside the fl ooded pond the lid is
placed on the already open reactor and seals it with a special sealing system.
2009: reactor pressure vessel sealing lid for the nuclear
power plant Brokdorf
In 2009 the production of a Siempelkamp sealing lid scored twice
with quality and timeliness. In late October 2008 we received the
order for the planning, manufacturing, and delivery of a reactor
vessel sealing lid for the Brokdorf nuclear power plant. A commitment
to deliver in seven months was a precondition for obtaining
this order. Siempelkamp used several competitive advantages to
win this contract including small and highly specialized teams
of project engineers, excellent and longstanding contacts with
manufacturers as well as the fl exibility of teams that are well
attuned to one another. Furthermore, we collect all the data to
meet the customer requirements.
Reactor pressure vessel sealing lid prior to immersion
into reactor pool
Siempelkamp Nuclear technology
Transport of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) sealing head
with the lifting beam assembly inside the containment
The use of the sealing lid results in time savings of approx. 17 hours
because the process of pumping the water out of the reactor cavity
becomes unnecessary for some inspections. These time savings
reduce the downtime of the power plant during inspections, and
thus allow for quicker start-ups, higher effi ciency and considerable
cost savings.
The acceptance test for the vessel sealing lid took place at the
factory in May 2009. Both the test of the load attachment points
and the leakage test were passed. As a result the vessel sealing
lid could be used for the fi rst time in June 2009 at the Brokdorf
nuclear power plant.
Components
The sealing lid seals the open reactor inside the fl ooded pond
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