Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: c9c204f0-a162-491c-8c25-ee0418212f29
Document Type: srp
Title: PRESSURE-TEMPERATURE LIMITS, UPPER-SHELF ENERGY, AND PRESSURIZED
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0703/ML070380185.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 5
Section ID: 5.3.2
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
s that cause severe overcooling in conjunction with overpressurization. The thermal stresses in combination with the pressure stresses increase the potential for brittle fracture in the presence of an initiating flaw in material with low toughness. This material may be present in the reactor vessel beltline where neutron radiation gradually embrittles the material over the plant lifetime. The PTS rule provides calculational methods and acceptance criteria for determining the effect of embrittlement on the reactor vessel materials and for establishing the material reference temperature limits beyond which corrective actions and plant-specific safety analyses must justify continued operation of the plant. Establishing, monitoring, and maintaining the structural integrity of the reactor vessel materials are essential in protecting against a failure of the RCPB and the subsequent loss of core cooling and fission product containment. Compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.61 provides assurance that the reactor vessel materials will not be subject to failure from PTS during the life of the reactor. III. REVIEW PROCEDURES The reviewer will select material from the procedures described below, as may be appropriate for a particular case. These review procedures are based on the identified SRP acceptance criteria. For deviations from these acceptance criteria, the staff should review the applicant’s evaluation of how the proposed alternatives provide an acceptable method of complying with the relevant NRC requirements identified in Subsection II. 1. Construction Permit/Design Certification Reviews. The staff will review the information in the preliminary safety analysis report/standard safety analysis report for a commitment that the fracture toughness of the ferritic materials in the RCPB will comply with the requirements of Appendix G to 10 CFR Part 50, as detailed in Section XI of the ASME 5.3.2-9 Revision 2 - March 2007 Code, and that the materials in the