ML22348A131
| ML22348A131 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/19/2022 |
| From: | Louise Lund NRC/RES/DE |
| To: | Beverly Smith NRC/NRR/DNRL |
| Shared Package | |
| ml22348A133 | List: |
| References | |
| PNNL-33730, UNR-NRR-2020-002, DE-AC05-76RL01830, NRC-HQ-60-17-D-0010 | |
| Download: ML22348A131 (3) | |
Text
MEMORANDUM TO:
Brian Smith, Director Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Louise Lund, Director Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
SUBJECT:
IMPENDING PUBLICATION OF TECHNICAL LETTER REPORT ENTITLED LITERATURE REVIEW: NDE OF PARTIAL PENETRATION WELDS IN REACTOR PRESSURE VESSELS (PNNL-33730) (UNR NRR-2020-002)
The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) has completed a technical letter report entitled Literature Review: NDE of Partial Penetration Welds in Reactor Pressure Vessels, (ADAMS Accession ML22348A130) under contract with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). This Technical Letter Report (TLR) documents work performed under User Need Request (UNR) NRR-2020-002, Update of the User Need Request for Evaluating the Reliability of Nondestructive Examinations of Vessels and Piping. This UNR focused on assessing the reliability and effectiveness of nondestructive examination (NDE) methods used in nuclear power plants. Task 8 on partial penetration welds requested that RES assess the ability of existing technologies to volumetrically examine partial penetration welds to detect and size flaws.
This TLR provides a discussion of current surface and volumetric NDE techniques performed for in-service inspection of partial penetration welds and documents the results of a literature survey conducted by PNNL to identify new techniques and advanced NDE capabilities, including off-the-shelf ultrasonic probes and the latest research aimed at detecting and sizing flaws in the partial penetration welds. Effective volumetric inspection techniques for partial penetration welds would allow for more robust examinations and enhanced detection and characterization of flaws initiating from PWSCC. The report summarizes new findings and recent NDE advances, including commercially available probes that could be applied for improved flaw detection performance and enhanced volumetric coverage. In the past 20 years or so, operational experience has not presented enough of a driver for industry investment in innovative or nonconventional approaches to volumetrically inspecting the partial penetration welds, thus the literature survey had few recent findings related to innovative or nonconventional NDE. There were, however, several documents found which focused on robotic or remote deployment systems rather than the NDE itself.
CONTACT:
Carol Nove, RES/DE/MEB (301) 415-2217 December 14, 2022 McKirgan, John signing on behalf of Lund, Louise on 12/14/22
B. Smith Staff representatives from the Division of New and Renewed Licenses in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) reviewed a draft of this TLR and stated, The NRR staff agrees with the conclusions of the report and the key findings. The TLR is of very high quality. The TLR contains sufficient detail and rigor to be used as a reference in rulemaking, ASME Code activities, and in evaluating proposed alternatives.
RES has established an online quality survey to collect feedback from user offices on the usefulness of RES products and services. This survey can be found online at the hyperlink:
RES Quality Survey. I would appreciate the responsible manager or supervisor completing this short survey within the next 10 working days to present your offices views of the delivered RES product.
If additional information is required, or there are any concerns with the impending public release of this TLR, please contact Carol A. Nove of my staff at 301-415-2217 or can2@nrc.gov.
Enclosure:
As stated
ml22348A133; ML22348A131 OFFICE RES/DE/CIB RES RES/DE NAME CNove SRuffin LLund JMcKirgan for DATE Dec 14, 2022 Dec 14, 2022 Dec 14, 2022