Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: a12b2f8d-d334-4fb6-8a51-8bf551a23833
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Surveillance Program for New Fuel Assembly Designs
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1335/ML13350A277.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.119
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
hould be inapected during each of the first three refueling periods. All pertinent data on the nuclear environment and plant operating history should be recorded. Key parameters such as power, coolant temperature, coolant pressure, rapid transients, and scrams should be collated for use in evaluating fuel assembly behavior. The visual inspection should include observations for cladding defects, fretting, rod bowing, corrosion, crud deposition, and geometric distortion with special attention to design changes and comparison to pertinent precharacterization observations. If any anomalies are detected during normal plant operation or the visual examinations, further investigation should be performed. Depending on the nature of the observed condition, the additional examina- tion could include appropriate surface, dimensional, leak-test, or gamma inspections of the fuel assemblies. In the event that these additional investigations uncover any fuel assembly containing structural defects, fuel rod failures, or abnor- malities of such a nature or magnitude that fuel design limits could be exceeded during normal operation, this assembly should be subjected to destructive examinations. 1.119-4 3. Destructive Examinations If the detailed surveillance examinations indicate the need for further evaluation, destructive examinations should be performed. These examinations need not be accomplished at the plant site or within the period of the refueling outage. Prior to performing the destructive examinations, thq selected assemblies should undergo whatever additional tests are necessary to establish the types of destructive examinations to be conducted, These testo ran include leak tests, dye penetrant, eddy current, profilometry gamma scanning, or neutron radiography, Again depending on the nature of the observed condition, metal- lographic examinations and mechanical testing may be undertaken. a, Metallography When examination of the fuel aqgdding is indicated, sections of