Effect of component aging on PWR control rod drive systems

摘要

An aging assessment of PWR control rod drive (CRD) systems has been completed as part of the US NRC Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program. The design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the Babcock & Wilcox (B & W), Combustion Engineering (CE), and Westinghouse (W) systems were evaluated to determine the potential for degradation as each system ages. Operating experience data were evaluated to identify the predominant failure modes, causes, and effects. This, coupled with an assessment of the materials of construction and operating environment, demonstrate that each design is subject to degradation, which if left unchecked, could affect its safety function as the plant ages. An industry survey, conducted with the assistance of EPRI and NUMARC, identified current CRD system maintenance and inspection practices. The results of this survey indicate that some plants have performed system modifications, replaced components, or augmented existing preventive maintenance practices in response to system aging. The survey results also supported the operating experience data, which concluded that the timely replacement of degraded components, prior to failure, was not always possible using existing condition monitoring techniques. The recommendations presented in this study also include a discussion of more advanced monitoring techniques, which provide trendable results capable of detecting aging.