Flamanville 3 EPR: How to Define the Pre-Service NDE Inspection Program

The last generation of PWR, the European Pressurizer Reactor, is being built both in Finland at Olkiluoto and in France at Flamanville where it will be the second unit in operation in two years. The conception of the reactor has no fundamental differences compared with the last French and German generations (i.e. N4 1450 MW and KONVOI 1300 MW). In fact the EPR is a synthesis of the best knowledge from both parts of Rhin river. Nevertheless, for what concerns the primary and secondary systems, few new issues have been implemented and they have important consequences for the pre-service inspection programme. First of it, main coolant lines and main components are declared break preclusion that means another approach for the in-service inspection and the requirements for pre-service inspection. A second one, is that the 1999 ministerial order will apply for the first time on a new unit. The inspection programme has to take it into account particularly in terms of NDE performance demonstration. In terms of structural integrity, the most important areas have been reviewed with fast fracture and fatigue criteria to determine the levels of NDE qualifications. This paper describes the important steps to reach the PSI and what is being developed in terms of NDE in relation to the structural integrity. Several examples are given to illustrate how EDF prepares the PSI of the EPR.Copyright © 2010 by ASME