Results of a literature review on the environmental qualification of low-voltage electric cables

In the design of nuclear power plants in the US, safety-related electric equipment must be qualified to provide reasonable assurance it can withstand the effects of a design basis event (DBE) and still be able to perform its prescribed safety function, even if the accident were to occur at the end of its service life. The requirement for environmental qualification (EQ) originates from the General Design Criteria in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 50 (10 CFR 50). The acceptable method of performing the qualification of this equipment has evolved over the years, starting with the NRC Division of Operating Reactors (DOR) Guidelines, which were issued in Bulletin 79--01B, and NUREG-0588 requirements and ending with the current EQ Rule, 10 CFR 50.49. While the EQ methods described in these documents have the same overall objective, there are some notable differences for which a clear technical basis has not been established. One difference is the preaging requirement for equipment prior to LOCA testing. In addition, specific issues related to current EQ practices have been raised by the US NRC which need to be addressed. These issues, which are discussed in detail later in this paper, are related to the sources of conservatism and uncertainty in IEEE Standard 323--1974, which is the qualification standard currently endorsed by the NRC. To address these issues, the NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) implemented a Task Action Plan (TAP), and the Office of Nuclear Reactor Research (RES) initiated a complementary research program. The current focus of this program is on the qualification of low-voltage instrumentation and control cables. These cables were selected since they are not typically replaced on a routine basis, and their degradation could impact plant safety.