B & W Owners group reactor vessel integrity program — the first ten years

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design 1989, Vol.112, p.165-172
• Main Authors: Lowe, A.L., Moore, K.E., Gross, L.B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/0029-5493(89)90154-4

The Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Owners Group Reactor Vessel Integrity Program was initiated in 1977. The objectives of the program are to develop predictive methods and analytical techniques and to obtain fracture toughness data for irradiated reactor vessel material, thereby ensuring licensability for the full plant design life. The program originated when engineering analyses showed that after only a few years of plant operation the material toughness properties of weld metals would not meet the mandatory requirements of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50 (10CFR50), Appendix G [1]. For that occurrence, Appendix G provides for supplemental tests and analyses to demonstrate equivalent safety margins. In the extreme situation where these procedures are not successful, reactor vessel annealing may be required for continued plant operation.