SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1989
STP10060S

The Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Surveillance Dosimetry Improvement Program (LWR-PV-SDIP): Past Accomplishments, Recent Developments, and Future Directions

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The integrity of the pressure vessel (PV) of a nuclear power plant is a major safety consideration throughout the life of the power plant. Radiation embrittlement can limit the serviceable lifetime of the PV and thereby limit the effective operating lifetime of the plant. It can further restrict normal heat-up and cool-down reactor operations, with resultant cycle-to-cycle economic implications. In recognition of these safety and economic issues, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) established the Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel (LWR-PV) Surveillance Dosimetry Improvement Program (SDIP) some ten years ago to improve, maintain, and standardize neutron dosimetry, damage correlation, and the associated reactor analysis procedures used for predicting the integrated effect of neutron exposure on LWR-PV.

The LWR-PV-SDIP adopted specific experimental and calculational strategies to meet the challenge of this complex radiation-induced PV embrittlement phenomenon. A vigorous research effort has gone forward worldwide to implement these strategies. The major benefit of this program has been and continues to be a significant improvement in the accuracy of the assessment of the current metallurgical condition and the remaining safe operating lifetime of LWR-PV.

The LWR-PV-SDIP has produced a broad range of technical accomplishments over the last decade and these achievements are reviewed. These earlier LWR-PV-SDIP accomplish-ments have generated, in turn, a number of significant new developments that are described. A natural outgrowth of LWR-PV-SDIP work is the experience to project future needs of LWR-PV surveillance. On this basis, recommendations for future directions are advanced with special emphasis on plant life extension.

Author Information

Gold, R
Westinghouse Hanford Company, Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory, Richland, WA
McElroy, WN
Westinghouse Hanford Company, Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory, Richland, WA
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Details
Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 44–61
DOI: 10.1520/STP10060S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5069-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1184-4