Evaluation of piping damage in German nuclear power plants Original Research Article

Information relating to piping damage in safety-relevant systems in German nuclear power plants with light water reactors (both pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs)) were analyzed with respect to the modes and the causes of damages. In general, the total range of observed piping damage is low. The incidents (82) in plants with PWRs affected mainly pipes with small diameters. Almost all damaged piping showed wall-penetrating cracks combined with leakages, which revealed the damage. Initial cracks at piping with larger diameters were discovered in isolated cases during in-service inspections. With regard to the incidents (71) in plants with BWRs, piping with small as well as large diameters was affected to different degrees. Wall-penetrating cracks combined with leakages were detected at piping with small diameters. For large-diameters pipes, cracks were indicated during in-service inspections and supplementary examinations. The results of the incident evaluations confirm the conservativeness of the safety concept chosen for the design of German nuclear power plants with light water reactors.