This paper briefly introduces the weld cladding structure, its common defects during the manufacture and operation stage and its application in pressurized water reactor nuclear power plants. Some ultrasonic testing codes or standards for nuclear power plant pressure vessel or piping, such as ASME BPVC volume V & III & XI, Germany KTA 3201.3 and 3201.4 code, France RCC-M and RSE-M code, and Russia code of light water nuclear power plants were discussed.
The difference of those codes and some feed backs have been analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, these works really benefit the compiling of NB/T 20003.2-2010, Non-destructive Testing for Mechanical Components in Nuclear Island of Nuclear Power Plants-Part 2: Ultrasonic Testing, as China building more and more nuclear power plants.
It was concluded that we shall pay more attention to the inspection of cladding, not only at manufacture stage but in operation outage stage. One of important work is periodically updating the inspection standard revision. It was believed that improving the cladding defects inspection reliability and effectiveness is very important to the safety of nuclear power plants operation in China and in the world.
