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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Steam Generator Tube Integrity Program/Steam Generator Group Project

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6853141· OSTI ID:6853141

The Steam Generator Tube Integrity Program/Steam Generator Group Project was a three-phase program conducted for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The main goal of the program was to provide the NRC with validated information on the reliability of nondestructive examination techniques to defects and size flaws in steam generator tubing and to determine the remaining integrity of service-degraded tubing. This report summarizes the findings of more than eleven years of research activity on steam generator tube integrity and inspection issues. The results of the Phase 1 pressure tests on mechanically-flawed steam generator tubing are presented. In addition, the laboratory eddy current (EC) sizing results on those tubes are summarized. A discussion of Phase 2 pressure test results on chemically-degraded tubes is given, along with a brief overview of leak-rate data for tubes with laboratory-produced axial or circumferential stress-corrosion cracks (SCC). Comparisons with a simple analytical leak rate model are discussed. Laboratory EC estimates of flaw size in Phase 2 specimens are described. To supplement the laboratory EC data and obtain an estimate of EC reliability to detect and size SCC, results of a mini-round robin involving several firms that routinely perform field inservice inspections are presented.

Research Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA). Div. of Engineering; Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
NRC
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
6853141
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-5117; ON: TI90014408
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English