Environmental Qualification Program for New Designs

Abstract

Qualification of nuclear power plant equipment and components important to safety (ITS) is an integral part of the design process. The qualification methodology differs based on the severity of service conditions (operational and ambient), to which the ITS equipment is exposed. In Canada, the licensing requirements for environmental qualification for new designs are governed by the Canadian Standard Association (CSA) standard, N290.13-2005 titled "Environmental Qualification of Equipment for CANDU Nuclear Power Plants" [1] and the pre-consultation draft, "Requirements for Design of Nuclear Power Plants"(DRD), issued for trial use by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) in March 2005. This paper will describe AECL's current Environmental Qualification program developed to comply with the above licensing requirements as applied to new designs. The focus will be given to qualification of ITS systems structures and components (SSC) to harsh conditions occurring due to the Design Basis Accidents (DBA).