BWXT steam generator icon white on a clear background

Sludge Lancing

For over two decades, we have been a leader in providing specialized sludge lancing services for steam generator maintenance, completing 70 deployments across 380 steam generators. We design and build custom lancing systems to tackle the most challenging environments in the nuclear industry.   

We specialize in addressing complex challenges, including:   

  • Limited access: Operating in confined spaces with minimal clearance around handholes  
  • Difficult handhole placement: Working with out-of-position or non-concentric handholes  
  • Internal obstructions: Navigating blowdown lines, acorn nuts, and tight inter-tube lanes  
  • Tenacious deposits: Removing hard sludge piles up to 30 inches thick in densely packed tube bundles  
BWXT sludge lancing device

Our systems utilize high-pressure (up to 10,000 psi) inter-lane lances for narrow lanes (as small as 0.142 inches) and lower-pressure (3,000 psi) systems for typical NTL and annulus lancing. We prioritize safety, foreign material exclusion and quality in all our designs.  

Our sludge lancing systems include:  

  • Adaptor flanges: Protecting handhole integrity during setup and operation  
  • Drive units: Providing precise rotation and linear indexing  
  • NTL rail: Delivering lances while withstanding high-pressure forces  
  • Inter-lance systems: Targeting deposits with focused high-pressure jets  
  • Flushing waterlances: Removing loose scale and soft sludge  
  • Annulus flushing lances: Pushing sludge towards suction removal  
  • Suction feet: Removing sludge suspension with diaphragm pumps  
  • Remote process and control systems: Filtering, recirculating water, and providing operator control 

This Website Uses Cookies.

We use cookies to give you the best user experience. No personal information is collected in this process.