Recent Examples of Inspection Qualification within Nuclear Electric
R.V. Booler, British Energy plc, Gloucester, U.K.
ABSTRACT
The ever-increasing role of inspection qualification in demonstrating capability and reliability, potentially has a very large impact on the cost and timescales for performing NDT of safety critical components. In each case it is important to place the inspection in context with the other controls that ensure safe operation to ensure that the appropriate level of qualification is adopted. For instance where inspection is the primary method for establishing structural integrity of a safety critical component a high level of rigorous qualification may be needed. However, in other cases inspection may play a lesser role and the burden on inspection qualification may be reduced. After reviewing the history of inspection qualification within Nuclear Electric, which began in the mid 1980s with the construction of the Sizewell B PWR, we describe how this has been extended to specific inspections of AGF (Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor) plant and how the ENIQ (European Network for Inspection Qualification) methodology is embraced. The paper gives some recent examples of inspection qualification exercises performed by Nuclear Electric. In the case of the ultrasonic inspection of the Sizewell B RPV studs we show how the inspection has been requalified to take account of certain features which have changed since the initial pre-service inspection. In another example, a remote automated inspection was developed, qualified, and deployed for AGR reheater welds on a very short timescale to meet operational demands. In the final example we demonstrate how the principles of ENIQ have bee applied to the inspection of an AGR control rod standpipe weld.
Publication Source: First International Conference on NDE in Relation to Structural Integrity for Nuclear and Pressurised Components , 20 - 22 October 1998, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Held by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Publisher:Woodhead Publishing Limited
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