Methodologies for Assessing Pipe Failure Rates in Advanced Water Cooled Reactors

Book excerpt: This publication, which draws upon the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project, presents methodologies for assessing pipe failure rates in advanced water cooled reactors (WCRs), including a comprehensive review of good practices for the assessment of piping reliability parameters for advanced WCRs. Good practices are those processes and analytical tasks that would be expected in piping reliability analysis in order for the results to be realistic representations of piping structural integrity. This publication builds on technical insights that have been obtained using different methodologies when applied in multiple analytical contexts and responding to the requirements of different national codes and standards. It provides Member States with a strong technical basis for establishing design and plant centric piping reliability parameters for input into probabilistic safety assessment studies, in-service inspection programme development, and operational support. Additionally, an objective evaluation and inter-comparison of methods used in participating Member States is outlined leading to a harmonization of the practices relevant to newly deployable advanced WCRs.