Regulatory Guide 3.36

Nondestructive Examination of Tubular Products for Use in Fuel Reprocessing Plants and in Plutonium Processing and Fuel Fabrication Plants

ML13350A251
Person / Time
Issue date:	08/31/1975
From:	Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
To:
References
RG-3.036
Download: ML13350A251 (2)

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

gREGULATORY GUIDE

OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT

REGULATORY GUIDE 3.36 NONDESTRUCTIVE EXAMINATION OF

TUBULAR PRODUCTS FOR USE IN FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS

AND IN PLUTONIUM PROCESSING AND FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS

August 1975

A. INTRODUCTION

Sectionr 50.34, "'o.tnlnts of" applications: technical infortirlion,' of 10 CIR Part 50. Licensing of Produc- tion and Utilizationi. Facilities.,

requires. amonrmg other things. that each applicalion I'r a construction permit I'Or ai fueIl reproicessinug plalnt inlclude sot ll'liien iflufrina.

lio0

relative to Illateria3ls

01' Construction to proVide reasonable assurance that the final design will ciitformn to tire design bases with adequate margin for safety arid a discussioll Of ho1w the applicable iequiremeitls 0t Appendix I1. "Quality Assuranlce Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants anid Fuel Reprocessingl Plants." to 10 CFR Part 50 will be satisfied.

As .used in Appendix I3.

.quality assurance" comprises all tlhose planned arid systemratic actions necessary ho provide adequirate con- hidenice that sal'ets-related structures. SvstIIS.lli an1d cI.li- ponlenls will perforrn satisfaclorily in service. Appendix I1 reqtuires. in part, that mreasures be established to enlsure inlaterials contIlrol anid conltrol of special processes and to ensure the performiance of reliable testing programs..

Paragraph 70.22(f) of 10 CFR Par( 70, "Special Nuclear Matcrial., requires, in part, that each applica- tion for a license to possess and use special I*ucear material in a plutonium. procassinig and fuel fabrication plant contain a description of. the quality assurance prograli to be applied to thie design, fabHrication.

construction, testing, arifd operation of the structures.

systeris, and. components of the plant and that t(ie description incrlude.a discussion of how the criteria of Appendix, B-of Part 50 will be met. Paragraph 70.23(b)

of Part 70 provides that the Commission will approve construction of a plutonium processing and fuel fabrica- tion plant when it has determined that the design bases and the quality assurance prograin provide reasonable

isslirarice of prortection againlst natural plillelllelilit arid the conisequenlces of Potentiarl aiccidents ;imid linotes Ihail tire criteria ill Appendix IB ilo Pail 50 will be used in determrininig tIre ;adequacy i

u

' tie quality assurancc progi*aiill.

Tlre integrity of lubular products carl blie ri illlpotarilt consideration ill sNa'cvI

evaluations. The proper uset of nondestructive examlinationl can ideuritf')y dlelts. thlat could inp:rir tlie integrity of these iterirs. Acceptable practices for lite nondestructive ex:ainatiorn otf Itubular Iproducts can differ significaill)y.

IIi tlre iiterest of'

slandr:rdizatiov. triis guide specifles procedures accept- ablto I the NRC staff for tie rIhUindesltiiclive exarinina- tion of high-integrity tubular products. These proce- dures, which draw fil those used for nuclear lotnwrc plants, will provide a uniforim quality level consistent with the function of lhigh-integrity tubular products for safely-rClatied structures, systems, arid C0ilrprrntliClS of'

fuel reprocessing plants arid plhutoniumrr processinri arid fuel fabricalinll plaills.

The recorirndur ions ir t' this guide apply ti high- integrity tubular producs I'Or corrhlrernieri harrieis. filr process systemls ard collipollenets. for iatditoactive waste handling aid storage., systemns. The recorrmrmerndations also apply to tibular producls whose failhrre rmay adversely affect tile safety of other strunctures. systenms.

and corirpocrients. arid to tubular products exposCed to co0r o- sive enviironlmnents and/or high stresses ol" other sa*ll,- related structures, systenirs, arid coimporeirts of fuel reprocessing plants and plutonium processing aird fuel fabrication plants.

B. DISCUSSION

Tile riaintenance and decoonltamninationi of radio- chienniical struct ures. systemsiS, and cormrponents call be USNRC REGULATORY GUIDES

Co-,stent% should lie sent to the Sittatv

0o the Co ,,,,iott U S

Nuc**a*,

Regulatory Guoide, or h'turd to dtictibf and "like .,Vible t p

Reguttti Con-mintoin WWlihinflisn

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12M% Attlltitin Dockletinig and methodt acceplahle *o the NAC sitatf of itliementing specisic pails oftil Service Sectioi Commiotion s tegulationi in delinleaite tethrotqlie$ uittd h the Staffi in evalu lhe iuidrs il. i ottitl fit otiillOwini its, boltai dlon ofi..q spicific p oolemot preotulated tlccident%. or to provide guidance to nriblh C ntit Regutlatoty Guidt*4tie not tubstitsstuai, tat regulation% and comptliatnce P

e Rs.,ctl',

6 Preducl with them is not required Melthodt and solution% dilferent teom thote st outl it

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7 thnihtatiiin the guide% will be accuitpltlhhr i r

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8 Occupiu*

HetaIlitiealth the isua1tue o cnentiuiindict It A pterttiit of licene byr the Comnnsstion

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1 nvoitonnuentl and Siting

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Comments and %iiqiojtiiet tisr i-rutitop enuents -

01tiee qjtiide, a- encouraged

5 Mateialltuid Plant Putalacliois

10 Grenseratl at All time%, and ijuide% w-il h. iitted ast iltrui*ioltte. tii accontnrodate con, mitents .td ti)

eftliLt n'ew oiltotatittifn nt erierteiP:

Htluesowvi cnnruunnts ofn Ctloiitl of ptubtished gi...e, mayli h, obtatined his rvialrtn ttqu-te indicating te*s this guide. if o!te*iled within ahintil etl te.ciiths Meet it ss-irs-c., *ill ht¥ti$1 diisiont desitesd to the U 5 Nudl*.l egiatotnyi Co*nrntinion. Wsthisolcton, 0 C

ticutIatI undul itt e1vtuatlilI ttre nd lot ,In atte y itavtnitl

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6. Attention

20i5.tt i., Oflfie ot Standardt Develotpiment

both diftficult and lazardous. Cracks. crevices, dellects.

arid tilhie disconthinuites oin the surfaces of such equilpnieutl mi1ay retain radioaclive solutions or iarliieu- lailes. This compl~c icates decouiitiitiationi for decoritutis- sicutiiii.t or when direct lepiair. riiaiitelianc. or ilspeci Cioii ilursl be niade.t ('rcks aind detects caln also coitribute Io

[lie leakaLge of equipmilent by inliliatinig accelerated cievice irrcioll by' eithCe ti operliaio or decoiritarii- I13li11I eC11iironlleill. hIternal cracks and defects mray'

event I:dllyt be *

pod to the ý,ula'Ices by cr10ni1

1al

0,rr osior and wvealr kt the cqolipmeni.

Inte at delcots can I trcrc1,uc'

t'

considcled as deltrimnial a.

as sutl-ice detctl's anld. for tie tc.StcIS *ivtn aLboVe . should he

avoided.

'hi'lvielore. rcliabhlc nicidest rctiive examinaito ut lhe etirte volilire (d' it"ral o ttl' tblir products Ised in ,art¢cy-ielai'd l

!riiclire. s.hI

stem

s. mid corniprenl s

ti ot li'

rej ircessirIg plait is rid it' pIl)IMton4iuinr prcessing anid l'irel Labricatioi plants should he pe, funtied.

Stibarticle NB1. 2550 of Section III. Division I . of the Arie ricaln Society clt Mechanical l:.4n*crs (ASME)

lBoiler and Pressure Vessel Code;' gives nequire'.nernts tor Cximilailioi arnd repair and accelptance 'crileria for seiuIIcss a31d melded (titllihul filler metnal)

tubular pruduicts an.hd alltitlgs for usC ill nu clear reactor comtin- ponents. Tire requiirements and crilCria of NI.2550 are also acceptable it thie NRC stafl for the quality contrl o1f

.catitess tubular products I'm use in fiue rireprocessintg p1ant1 S :111dt ill pluitulnioti proceSSing and fuel fabricalioli plarniks %, ith the following ,clarifhalitons arid additions:

I I ) atll tubuular i'podLucts should bl examinired for both cilcurilfreintial and axial defects and (2) whcnI ultrasonic examiilnialion is required.

tIre sound should be trans- miuted in !he two directions. i.e.. in both circumlerenitial tdinclioins or both axial and both ci[rct.lferenti al direc- timis, as requircd. This scanning may be accomplished by ;llparate passes oh the pipe through thie examination equipmenl ill each direction (back and forth) or by a single pass through equiplmntit contlaining complete and independent channels of in1strunen tation for each mode and directioun of scarlminig.

Requiremtents tor the examination and repair and acceptance criteria for welded tubular products (with tiller metal added) are given ii1 Subsubarticle N1H-2560 of Section III of the ASME code. These requirements are accepiable

.o Ihe NRC sla If with the following addition.

When Ine option for ultraIsotiC exarmination of finished welded ppe is invoked as permitted by NB-2560, tine tiltrasotic e.xamination should meet the requirements of NII-2550 and dte recomliniicdations of Ibtis guide.

C. REGULATORY POSITION

Nondestructive examination applied to (1)tubular products used for safety-related process systems and comiponents. (2) tubular products used for radioactive aCopics' may bhe oblined I'rtom the American Society cr Meclchaical F-nginceers. United IEngineering Center, 345 East

471h Street. New York. N.Y. IMt 17.

waste handling acid storage systeits, and ()tubular products exposer" 'o corrosive cniironments and/or high stresses of other safely-related structures, systemts. and coitlpontens of fuel reproccssinlg plants and of pIu- tonium processing and fuel fabrication plants should lie capable of detecting unacceptable defects regardless of detfeet shape, otrierlalion, or ocation in the product.

Accordingly, to Ile degree practical. the examinations should inlude ilethods that apply to ithe cmi lire vohlniC

of thi product and stoo1ld itclhide techniques dIC.signed It loc0ate :ll iypes of defelS. Inl particular. IrotcCdutres for ultrasonic cxaniinatiurn ti" pipe aid tubing should provide a senisitivity that will detect radoimly oriented detlkcts that occasionally develop in pipc and tubing nitaitulacl tired by cxlrusion, swagingg. or ttube-redticing processes.

To adequatevly control the quality of tubular products intended for f ie uses described above. they should be Oxalnitiied and icpaircd as follows:

I. All tub1ular products should bc excnained for both c:ircurttl'ctcnIlial and axial delkccts,

1. Wroughl seamless lhuhular products should be exaunirted and repaired in accordance with NB-2550 of the ASMIE ('ode usirie the acceptance criteria given therein with the following addition. When ultrascmic cxainitnalion is performned. the sound should be trars- mitted in both directions for each mode of scanning; i.e..

when the code requires circuimferential scan. the sotund should be tr:nsmitted in both circumferential directions.

and when the code requires circuntlterential and axial scans. 1lie sound sltould be transmitted in both circurn- f'erential directions and both axial directions.

3. Examinalion arid repair for welded tubular prod- ucts (with filler metal added) should be in accordance with NB-2560 of tlie ASMIE Code. When ultiasonic examination is performed for ihese products, it should be done in accordance with NB-2550 of the ASME Code and with regulatory positions C.A and C.2.

D. IMPLEMENTATION

The purpose of this section is to provide information to applicants and licensees regarding the NRC stafl's plans for using this regulatory guide.

Except iii those cases in which the applicant proposes act acceptable alternative method for complying with specified portions of the Commission's regulations. (lie nmethod described herein will be used in the evaluation of submittals for license applications or construction permits docketed after December 26, 1975.

If an applicant whose application for license is docketed on or before December 26. 1975, wishes to use this regulatory guide in developing submittals for appli- cations, the pertinent portions of the application will be evaluated on the basis of this guide.

3,36.2