U.S. Surveillance Programs for Long-Term Operation

摘要

License renewal for 60 years of operation for nuclear power plants in the United States is approved for over 75 % of the operating fleet. There are ongoing activities to further extend the license life for an additional 20 years to meet power demands. One key element that needs to be addressed to support the further extension of the license life is the limited amount of power reactor surveillance data at neutron fluences associated with 80 years of operation. This need has led to several industry programs to focus on increasing the amount of surveillance data and associated embrittlement-predictive models over the next decade. Associated with these industry surveillance programs is coordination with research activities in the United States and Japan that can provide additional mechanistic insight into high-fluence embrittlement mechanisms and additional high-fluence test results. These programs for ensuring continued safe and long-term reactor pressure vessel operation are discussed in this paper.