Small, modular nuclear power plant developer NuScale Power said it had successfully installed a full-length helical coil steam generator at SIET facilities in Piacenza, Italy.
The company, which is based in Portland, Ore., said the HCSG unit will undergo months of testing, which will be conducted at prototype fluid temperatures, pressures and flow rates to measure the steam generator's thermal performance. Flow induced vibration testing will also be performed, NuScale said in a release.
The project in Italy involves a first-of-a-kind HCSG for nuclear heat to steam conversion.
SIET has been contracted to provide full-scale testing of the HCSG performance over a range of conditions the unit would face in commercial reactor operations, the company said.
"The fabrication, installation and subsequent testing of this full-length HCSG is an important step in the continued support of our reactor safety code development and validation, our reactor design, and our technology maturation to reduce first-of-a-kind risk,” stated Dr. Jose Reyes, NuScale’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “This is another key milestone for the development of our innovative technology.”
NuScale’s full-length HCSG was constructed in a fabrication shop near the SIET facility and then transported by truck to the SIET facility where it was installed by crane.