Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 74c49394-8dbf-46e7-b62a-b85de93b47d8
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Initial Test Programs for Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants + HISTORY - HISTORY 11/2012 – DG-1259 , Proposed Revision 4 11/2006 – DG-1166 , Proposed Revision 3 (Rev. 4)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1229/ML12298A071.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.68
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
s should be closed. Appendix C to DG-1259, Page C-8 C-4. Low-Power and Power-Ascension Procedures This section provides guidance for planning and preparing procedures for use in conducting the initial ascension to rated power. The guidance provided in Section 1, “Preoperational Test Procedures,” of this appendix is also considered applicable. The program should be planned to increase power in discrete steps. Major testing should be performed at power levels of approximately 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent. If tests intended to verify that movements and expansion of equipment are in accordance with design are not conducted during hot functional tests and must be delayed until generation of nuclear heat, the first power level for conducting such tests should be as low as practical (approximately 5 percent). Individual test procedures should include instructions and precautions for establishing the special conditions necessary for conducting tests. The individual procedures should highlight these special conditions and specifically provide for restoration to normal following the test. The overall or governing power-ascension test plan should typically require the following operations to be performed at appropriate steps in the power ascension test phase: 1. Conduct any tests that are scheduled at the test condition or power plateau. 2. Examine the radial flux for symmetry and verify that the axial flux is within expected values. 3. Determine reactor power by heat balance, calibrate nuclear instruments accordingly, and determine the existence of adequate instrumentation overlap between the intermediate- and power range detectors. 4. Reset high flux trips, just before ascending to the next level, to a value no greater than 20 percent beyond the power of the next level unless TS limits are more restrictive. 5. Perform general surveys of plant systems and equipment to determine that they are operating within expected values. 6. Check for unexpected