Closeout of IE Bulletin 80-13: Cracking in core spray spargers: (Technical report, December 16, 1985-July 7, 1987)

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5560395

Foley, W J; Dean, R S; Hennick, A

Between late 1978 and early 1980, the licensees of Oyster Creek and Pilgrim nuclear power stations notified the NRC that cracks had been found in core spray spargers. In early 1979, General Electric (GE) requested licensees of boiling water reactors (BWRs) to inspect spargers for visual indications of cracking. In March 1980, representatives of GE and the NRC met to discuss sparger cracking. IE Bulletin 80-13 was issued May 12, 1980, to require more intensive inspection of these safety-related systems. Core spray spargers are provided as engineered safety features, for emergency core cooling. Licensees of operating BWRs were required to take four specific actions. Evaluation of licensees' responses and inservice inspection reports, NRC/IE inspection reports and NRC correspondence shows that the bulletin can be closed out for all of the 23 BWR operating facilities which were issued the bulletin for action. Examination of spargers at 22 operating BWRs is required every refueling outage. The licensees have incorporated this examination into their inservice inspection programs. Techniques for inspection of spargers have been improved during the period of bulletin activity. Generic Letter 84-11 establishes the requirement for an ongoing program for inspection of BWR stainless steel piping.

• Research Organization: Parameter, Inc., Elm Grove, WI (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5560395
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-4523; PARAMETER/IE-153; ON: TI88900299
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ALLOYS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CORE SPRAY SYSTEMS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
ECCS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
OYSTER CREEK-1 REACTOR
PILGRIM-1 REACTOR
PIPES
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR PROTECTION SYSTEMS
REACTORS
SAFETY
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS