Steam Generator tube integrity -- US Nuclear Regulatory Commission perspective
In the US, the current regulatory framework was developed in the 1970s when general wall thinning was the dominant degradation mechanism; and, as a result of changes in the forms of degradation being observed and improvements in inspection and tube repair technology, the regulatory framework needs to be updated. Operating experience indicates that the current U.S. requirements should be more stringent in some areas, while in other areas they are overly conservative. To date, this situation has been dealt with on a plant-specific basis in the US. However, the NRC staff is now developing a proposed steam generator rule as a generic framework for ensuring that the steam generator tubes are capable of performing their intended safety functions. This paper discusses the current U.S. regulatory framework for assuring steam generator (SG) tube integrity, the need to update this regulatory framework, the objectives of the new proposed rule, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulatory guide (RG) that will accompany the rule, how risk considerations affect the development of the new rule, and some outstanding issues relating to the rule that the NRC is still dealing with.
- Research Organization:
- US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 467949
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CP-0157-VOL.2; CONF-9610202-Vol.2; ON: TI97004274; TRN: 97:008415
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 24. water reactor safety information meeting, Bethesda, MD (United States), 21-23 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the twenty-fourth water reactor safety information meeting. Volume 2: Reactor pressure vessel embrittlement and thermal annealing; Reactor vessel lower head integrity; Evaluation and projection of steam generator tube condition and integrity; Monteleone, S. [comp.] [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)]; PB: 443 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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