Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 4a45938b-46f4-4b26-9191-2914fcf357f1
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Inservice Inspection of Pressurized Water Reactor Steam Generator Tubes (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0037/ML003740256.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.83
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
This guide describes a method acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing these General Design Criteria by reducing the probability and consequences of steam generator tube failures through periodic inservice Inspection for early detection of defects and deteriora tion. This guide applies only to pressurized water reactors (PWRs)..The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards has been consulted concerning this guide and has concurred in the regulatory position. B. DISCUSSION The heat transfer area of the steam generators in pressurized water reactors can comprise well over 50% of the area of the total primary system pressure-retaining boundary. The thin-walled steam generator tubing is an important part of a major barrier against fission product release to the environment. The steam generator tubing also acts as a barrier against steam release to the containment in the event of a LOCA. To act as an effective barrier, this tubing must be free of cracks, perforations, and general deterioration. The design criteria used to establish the structural integrity of the steam generator tubing should also define the minimum tube wall thickness required to sustain the pressure and thermal loading caused by the worst postulated LOCA in combination with a safe shutdown earthquake.2 Inadequate control of the secondary coolant chem istry has been identified as one of the principal sources As defined in Appendix A, "Seismic and Geologic Siting Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants," to 10 CFR Part 100, "Reactor Site Criteria." USNRC REGULATORY GUIDES Comments should be sent to the Secretary of the Commission. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Guides are issued to describe and make available to the public Regulatory Commission. Washington. D.C. 2V565. Attention: Docketing and methods acceptable to the NRC staff of Implementing specific pans @1 the Service Section. Commission's regulations, to delineate techniques used by the staff in evalu- The guides are issued in the following ten broad