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Home NRC Library Document Collections NUREG-Series Publications Publications Prepared by NRC Staff Technical Basis for Revision of the Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) Screening Limit in the PTS Rule

Technical Basis for Revision of the Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) Screening Limit in the PTS Rule (10 CFR 50.61): Appendices (NUREG-1806, Volume 2)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed:  May 2006
Date Published:  August 2007

Prepared by:
M. EricksonKirk, M. Junge, W. Arcieri,
B.R. Bass, R. Beaton, D. Bessette,
T.H.J. Chang, T. Dickson, C.D. Fletcher,
A. Kolaczkowski, S. Malik, T. Mintz,
C. Pugh, F. Simonen, N. Siu,
D. Whitehead, P. Williams, R. Woods,
S. Yin

Division of Fuel, Engineering and Radiological Research
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

During plant operation, the walls of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) are exposed to neutron radiation, resulting in localized embrittlement of the vessel steel and weld materials in the core area. If an embrittled RPV had a flaw of critical size and certain severe system transients were to occur, the flaw could very rapidly propagate through the vessel, resulting in a through-wall crack and challenging the integrity of the RPV. The severe transients of concern, known as pressurized thermal shock (PTS), are characterized by a rapid cooling of the internal RPV surface in combination with repressurization of the RPV. Advancements in our understanding and knowledge of materials behavior, our ability to realistically model plant systems and operational characteristics, and our ability to better evaluate PTS transients to estimate loads on vessel walls led the NRC to realize that the earlier analysis, conducted in the course of developing the PTS Rule in the 1980s, contained significant conservatisms.

This report summarizes 21 supporting documents that describe the procedures used and results obtained in the probabilistic risk assessment, thermal hydraulic, and probabilistic fracture mechanics studies conducted in support of this investigation. Recommendations on toughness-based screening criteria for PTS are provided.

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