Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: 26aca061-b0de-4983-bbca-3fccb00afc2f
Document Type: srp
Title: PRESSURE-TEMPERATURE LIMITS AND PRESSURIZED THERMAL SHOCK1
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0520/ML052070431.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 5
Section ID: 5.3.2
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
core cooling and confinement are minimized. 2. GDC 14 establishes that the RCPB be designed, fabricated, erected, and tested so as to have an extremely low probability of abnormal leakage, of rapidly propagating failure, and of gross rupture. The RCPB provides for confinement of reactor coolant and acts as a barrier to the release of fission products in the event of an accident resulting in fuel failure. Pressure-temperature limits established for the RCPB ensure that the material fracture toughness requirements for the RCPB piping and components are met and that the RCPB will act in a non-brittle manner under operating, maintenance, testing, and postulated accident conditions. Application of GDC 14 to the RCPB, with regard to the pressure-temperature limits, provides assurance that the RCPB meets the material fracture toughness requirements and will act in a non-brittle manner, thereby providing a low probability of significant degradation or gross failure of the RCPB that could cause a loss of reactor coolant inventory, and a reduction in the capability to confine fission products. 3. GDC 31 establishes that the RCPB be designed with sufficient margin to assure that when stressed under operating, maintenance, testing, and postulated accident conditions, the boundary behaves in a non-brittle manner and the probability of rapidly propagating fracture is minimized. The design is required to reflect consideration of service temperatures and other conditions of the boundary material and the uncertainties in determining material properties, the effects of irradiation on material properties, residual, steady state and transient stresses, and size of flaws. The RCPB provides a fission product barrier, confinement of reactor coolant, and flow paths to facilitate core cooling. Regulatory Guide 1.99 provides methods for predicting irradiation effects on fracture toughness properties that are applicable to compliance with the requirements of GDC 31. Application of GDC 31