Remote in-bore laser welding of nuclear pipelines
Acronym: LaserPipe
Funding body: Innovate UK
Status: Completed
Nuclear sites require regular maintenance to replace and/or repair corroded/deteriorated pipes. A result of the challenging environment, confined space and limited external access is that external orbital cutting and welding processes are not viable for many applications, and, consequently, in-bore remote processing has generated significant interest in recent years. The LaserPipe project aims to address the limited external access problem faced during regular maintenance to replace pipelines in the nuclear plant. The feasibility study will develop an in-bore laser welding head and investigate the procedures for laser welding in all directions.