MRP Thermal Fatigue Program Update: Paul Crooker

MRP Thermal Fatigue
Program Update
Paul Crooker
Technical Leader, Principal
Materials R&D Tech Exchange Meeting

May 23, 2017
© 2017 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Presentation Content
 MRP thermal fatigue program evolution

 Operating experience history
 MRP response
 Recent trending of operating experience
 MRP current effort
 Recent OE inspection challenges and MRP response
2
MRP Thermal Fatigue Program Evolution
 Original plant designs and inspection programs did not

conceive of all potential thermal fatigue vulnerabilities
– Thermal stratification
– Thermal mixing
 PWR OE during the mid 1980s alerted Industry to the need
for management of thermal fatigue
 Industry responded - collaborative research led to a better
understanding of system behavior
 MRP strategy focuses on component identification,
inspection and mitigation
3
MRP Thermal Fatigue Program Evolution (2)
 MRP thermal fatigue management under NEI 03-08 is

implemented by:
– MRP-146 Cyclic stratification in non-isolable RCS branch lines
(“Needed” item)
– MRP-192 Thermal mixing tees in RHR systems
(“Good Practice” item)
4
MRP Thermal Fatigue Program Evolution (3)
5
Operating Experience History
 5 Events leading into NRC Bulletin 88-08

– All through-wall (2 US plants)
 6 Events subsequent to Bulletin thru 2000 (12 years)
– All through-wall (2 US plants)
 3 Events after industry guidance thru 2012 (12 years)
– All part-wall (2 US plants, cracking discovered during planned MRP-
146/192 program examinations)
 10 Events in US between 2013 and 2015 (2 years)
– 3 through-wall
– 7 part-wall (cracking discovered during planned MRP-146/192
examinations or extent of condition examinations)
6
MRP Response
 Program successful in detecting flaws before leakage occurs
in many instances; however, opportunities for improvement
identified
 EPRI Thermal Fatigue Focus Group (TFFG) established to
assess impact of OE and recommend corrective actions
 TFFG objectives:
– Publish Interim Guidance to prevent thermal fatigue degradation from
exceeding Regulatory limits
– Identify actions for program improvement
 TFFG process:
– Review each event
– Identify specific program failures
– Identify potential causes and determine mitigation alternatives
– Develop Interim Guidance to detect cracks at an early stage
– Identify knowledge gaps and propose specific research to close gaps
& improve program
7
MRP Response (2)
 TFFG major findings:

– Certain screening criteria found suspect – population of susceptible
piping to increase
– Need for expansion of MRP-146/192 inspection zones
– Newer NDE techniques and procedures are better in detecting
cracking
 Interim Guidance issued in May 2015
– 2 “Good Practice” requirements
– 8 “Needed” requirements
 EDF and Japanese thermal fatigue program benchmarking
effort initiated and completed (MRP-408/409)
 Additional NDE mock-ups created to aid in examiner training
8
MRP Response (3)
 Maintain plant staff expertise

– EPRI Fatigue Management Handbook updated (MRP-235)
– Fatigue management training conducted and recorded
 MRP-146 Revision 2 published in September 2016
incorporating Interim Guidance
 MRP-192 Revision 3 under development and to be
published in 2017 incorporating Interim Guidance
9
Recent Trending of Operating Experience
 7 Events in US between 2016 and 2017 (1 year)

– One through-wall
– 5 part-wall (cracking discovered during planned MRP-146
examinations or extent of condition examinations)
– 1 part-wall (detected via planned Section XI examinations)
10
Recent Trending of Operating Experience (2)
Date Reactor Component Flaw Depth Method of
Supplier Detection
March W Drain Line 58% Part-wall Extent of
2016 Condition*
March W Charging Line 44% Part-wall MRP-146
2016 Inspection
May W RHR Suction 24% Part-wall Section XI
2016 Line Program
February W Safety Injection Through-wall N/A
2017 Line
March W Safety Injection 21% Part-wall MRP-146
2017 Line Inspection
April W RHR Suction 14% Part-wall Extent of
2017 Line Condition*
May W Safety Injection Part-wall in MRP-146
2017 Line socket weld Inspection
* Inspection methods consistent with MRP-146 inspection guidance.
11
MRP Current Effort
 All 7 events reveal a potential need for modified guidance

– Drain line was screened out based on MRP-146 generic guidance,
OE was not expected
– One crack location was not considered likely due to line size and
geometry, discovered during a one-time inspection
– RHR suction lines were screened out as to run fully hot, OE was not
expected
– Possible new source of in-leakage identified from SI system cross-
flow
– Flaws detected outside of MRP-146 inspection zone
12
MRP Current Effort (2)
 TFFG is carefully reviewing each event to fully understand

root causes and then make a determination if program
changes are necessary
 Instrumentation for temperature, vibration and/or strain
monitoring has been employed at 3 sites
– Data has been very valuable in understanding loading conditions
contributing to crack initiation and fatigue crack growth
– Data being reviewed by the TFFG to further understand the thermal
fatigue mechanisms and component susceptibility
 Publication of Interim Guidance, if necessary, expected later
this year
13
MRP Current Effort (3)
 Overall, the MRP Thermal Fatigue Program has proven

successful in detecting flaws before leakage occurs or when
cracking presents a challenge to existing structural margins
 Through the continued engagement of the MRP and the
TFFG, improvements in existing thermal fatigue
programmatic guidance will be evaluated and implemented
as necessary
14
Recent OE Inspection Challenges
 Newly Identified Cracking Morphologies

– RCS High Pressure Injection Nozzle cracking (3-inch OD)
 Axial cracks on the nozzle side without craze cracking
 Examination from the nozzle side may be difficult due to geometry
– NDE Challenge: single-side examination for axial crack
detection
– RCS Drain cracking (2-inch OD)
 Weld cracks initiating in the heat-affected zone then propagating
into the weld
– NDE challenge: difficult to detect the crack tip inside the weld
– NDE challenge: weld complexity may trigger false calls
 Elbow skewed cracks
– NDE challenge: cracks with complex skewed paths difficult to
detect
15
Inspection TAC Deliverables
 To respond to the OE, Inspection TAC plans include:

– Revise the thermal fatigue examination procedure
 Develop a cover sheet for use with PDI UT-2
 Revise the generic thermal fatigue examination procedure
– Revise MRP-23, MRP-36 (CBT)
– Fabricate 7 additional mockups
– Add thermal fatigue mockups to Virtual UT System
 Deliverables scheduled for December 2017
16
Together…Shaping the Future of Electricity
17

MRP Thermal Fatigue Program Update: Paul Crooker

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MRP Thermal Fatigue

Materials R&D Tech Exchange Meeting

© 2017 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

 MRP thermal fatigue program evolution

 Original plant designs and inspection programs did not

 MRP thermal fatigue management under NEI 03-08 is

 5 Events leading into NRC Bulletin 88-08

 TFFG major findings:

 Maintain plant staff expertise

 7 Events in US between 2016 and 2017 (1 year)

 All 7 events reveal a potential need for modified guidance

 TFFG is carefully reviewing each event to fully understand

 Overall, the MRP Thermal Fatigue Program has proven

 Newly Identified Cracking Morphologies

 To respond to the OE, Inspection TAC plans include:

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