Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 31f5b507-4290-458f-9233-049d79b5ff59
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Condition Monitoring Techniques for Electric Cables Used in Nuclear Power Plants
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1007/ML100760364.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.218
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
affected by the test environment or, if they are so affected, the results can be corrected for those effects, e. able to identify the location of any defects in the cable, f. allows the establishment of a well-defined end condition, and g. provides sufficient time before incipient failure to allow corrective actions. Cable Monitoring Methods/Techniques Electric cable condition monitoring tests may generally be grouped by whether the inspection or test is performed in situ on electric cables in the plant or whether it is a laboratory-type test performed on representative material specimens in a controlled laboratory setting. These condition monitoring test techniques may be performed to measure and assess the following: DG-1240, Page 4 a. electrical properties (such as insulation resistance/polarization index, voltage withstand, dielectric loss/dissipation factor, time domain reflectometry, partial discharge), b. mechanical properties (such as hardness, elongation at break, compressive modulus/polymer indenter test), c. chemical/physical properties (such as density, oxidation induction time, oxidation induction temperature, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), d. physical condition/appearance, or e. functional performance (technical specification related calibration and functional surveillance tests, system/component operating tests, preventive maintenance functional tests). Research and experience have shown that no single, nonintrusive, currently available condition monitoring method can be used alone to predict the survivability of electric cables under accident conditions. Many condition monitoring techniques (e.g., elongation at break, compressive modulus, density) are localized indicators of the condition at the specific place along a cable circuit where the measurement is made; cable properties measured at multiple points may show the cable to be in sound condition, but a measurement made only inches away at a more severely stressed section could