Dr. B.Venkatraman, a American Society for NDT certified Level – III in four NDT methods (RT, PT, NRT and VT) has over 27 years of experience. He has specialized in conventional and advanced NDE especially radiography, thermal imaging and image processing. He is presently the Head, Radiological Safety Division and Associate Director, Radiological Safety and Environment Group at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.

He has over 130 publications in Journals and Conferences including two articles in Encyclopedia of Material Science, 3 monographs, 3 books and is the series editor along with Dr Baldev Raj for the NDT handbooks.

He is, Fellow of the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing, President, Indian Society for Radiation Physics and Associate Member of Health Physics Society of USA and Professor Homi Bhabha National Institute.

He is the recipient of the Prestigious Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award 2007 for Individual Excellence (highest award of the Department of Atomic Energy for individual scientific excellence), Group Achievement Award 2008 for Design and Manufacture of PFBR Steam generator, INS Gold Medal 2005, ISNT-NDT Man of the Year Award ( R & D) 2001, D & H Schereon Award, 1993 and has won more than 10 best paper awards.

Abstract

Frontiers of Total Quality Management with Emphasis on NDE

Energy security is an essential pre requisite for all social and economic developments and growth of civilization. For a country like India with a population of about 1.2 billion and a average growth rate of about 8 % annually (likely to increase further), nuclear energy using the vast thorium reserves is the only viable alternatively presently (considering its natural fossil based resource) that could ensure the energy security of the nation. Realising this, the Department of Atomic Energy under the visionary guidance of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha embarked on the three stage power program. The first phase based on pressurised heavy water reactors has reached a mature stage and the second phase is the development of fast reactors. As a step towards this, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) was established with the mandate to develop fast reactor technology so that FBRs can be deployed for generating electricity in the decades to come. As part of this strategy, a 40-MW(th) test reactor, the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR),was constructed and commissioned in 1985. This reactor has successfully operated for over 26 years without any major incidence using the unique and new carbide fuel which has achieved a burnup of 165 GWD/t an international benchmark. This test reactor has been utilised for fuel development, reactor physics experiments and irradiation of structural materials. This coupled with the extensive R&D efforts in all aspects of FBR technology has laid the foundation for the design and development of a 500-MWe Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR). Construction of the 500 MWe FBR started in 2002. It is now in an advanced stage and is expected to be completed by 2010. This FBR will be the forerunner of a series of FBRs that are to follow soon.

500 Mwe FBR is a first of its kind technology. To ensure high safety and reliability of the components, a well structured and comprehensive Quality Management Practice has been put in place. The essential elements of this quality management system are depicted in Fig. 1. Quality management practice starts right from the design stage including choice of materials. Advanced concepts of total quality management such as six sigma have been employed to identify gap areas in challenging sectors of fuel cycle management. In the case of 500 MWe the successful operation of the reactor for its intended life time of 40 years primarily hinges on the materials used for the core and structural components. This is because FBR components need to operate under hostile and demanding environment of high neutron flux, liquid sodium coolant and elevated temperatures. Austenitic stainless steels are chosen as the major structural materials for the currently operating and planned FBRs all over the world in view of their adequate high temperature mechanical properties, compatibility with liquid sodium coolant, good weldability, availability of design data and above all the fairly vast and satisfactory experience in the use of these steels for high temperature service.