Chapter-7

VISUAL EXAMINATION
FOR LEAKAGE
Khurram Shahzad Ahmad
Principal Engineer
NCNDT-SES Dte.

SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTING

Periodic System Pressure Test
System pressure tests Class-1, 2 and 3 components shall be
conducted in accordance with the Examination Categories
identified as following:
Class

Examination
Category

B-P

Pressure Retaining Components

C-H

All Pressure Retaining Components

D-B

All Pressure Retaining Components

Examination area

SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTING

Periodic System Pressure Test
Piping that penetrates a containment vessel is exempt from the
periodic system pressure test when the piping and isolation valves
perform a containment function and the balance of the piping
system is outside the scope of this Division.

SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTING

System Test Requirement
Pressure retaining components within each system boundary shall
be subject to the following applicable system pressure tests under
which conditions a VT-2 visual examination is performed to detect
leakage:

System Leakage Test

A system leakage test conducted while the system is in operation,
during a system operability test, or while the system is at test
conditions using an external pressurization source.

SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTING

System Test Requirement
System Hydrostatic Test
A system hydrostatic test conducted during a plant shutdown at an
elevated test pressure.

System Pneumatic Test

A system pneumatic test conducted in lieu of either of the above
system pressure tests for Class 2 or Class 3 components.

SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTING

System Test Requirement
Buried Components
For buried components surrounded by an annulus, the VT-2 visual
examination shall consist of an examination for evidence of leakage at
each end of the annulus and at low point drains.
For buried components where a VT-2 visual examination cannot be
performed, the following requirements shall be met:
For buried components that are isolable by means of valves that
are required to be essentially leak tight, the examination
requirement shall be satisfied by performing a test that determines
the rate of pressure loss or a test that determines the change in
flow between the ends of the buried components. The acceptance
rate of pressure loss or flow shall be established by the Owner.
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SYSTEM PRESSURE TESTING

System Test Requirement
Buried Components
For buried components that are not isolable by means of valves
that are required to be essentially leak tight, the examination
requirement shall be satisfied by performing a test to confirm
that flow during operation is not impaired.
Test personnel need not be qualified for VT-2

TEST CONDITION HOLDING TIME

The holding time after pressurization to test conditions, before the
visual examinations commence, shall be as follows:

For the system leakage tests the following shall be met.

For Class 1 components (Examination Category B-P), no
holding time is required after attaining test pressure.
For Class 2 (Examination Category C-H) and Class 3
(Examination Category D-B) components not required to
operate during normal plant operation, a 10 min holding time is
required after attaining test pressure.
For Class 2 (Examination Category C-H) and Class 3
(Examination Category DB) components required to operate
during normal plant operation, no holding time is required,
provided the system has been in operation for at least 4 hr for
insulated components or 10 min for noninsulated components.
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TEST CONDITION HOLDING TIME

For system pressure tests, a 10 min holding time for
noninsulated components, or 4 hr for insulated components,
is required after attaining test pressure.
For system pneumatic tests, a 10 min holding time is
required after attaining test pressure.

VISUAL EXAMINATION
Insulated and Non insulated Components
The VT-2 visual examination shall be conducted by examining
the accessible external exposed surfaces of pressure
retaining components for evidence of leakage.
For components whose external surfaces are inaccessible for
direct VT-2 visual examination, only the examination of the
surrounding area (including floor areas or equipment surfaces
located underneath the components) for evidence of leakage
shall be required.
Components within rooms, vaults, etc., where access cannot
be obtained, may be examined using remote visual
equipment or installed leakage detection systems.
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VISUAL EXAMINATION
Insulated and Non insulated Components
Essentially vertical surfaces need only be examined at the
lowest elevation where leakage may be detected.
Discoloration or residue on surfaces shall be examined for
evidence of boric acid accumulations from borated reactor
coolant leakage.

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VISUAL EXAMINATION
Insulated and Non insulated Components
For insulated components in systems borated for the purpose
of controlling reactivity, insulation shall be removed from
pressure retaining bolted connections for VT-2 visual
examination. Insulation removal and VT-2 visual examination
of insulated bolted connections may be deferred until the
system is depressurized. When corrosion resistant bolting
material with a chromium content of at least 10%, such as
SA-564 Grade 630 H1100, SA-453 Grade 660, SB-637 Type
718, or SB-637 Type 750, is used, it is permissible to perform
the VT-2 visual examination without insulation removal.
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VISUAL EXAMINATION
Insulated and Non insulated Components
Essentially horizontal surfaces of insulation shall be examined
at each insulation joint if accessible for direct VT-2
examination.
When examining insulated components, the examination of
the surrounding area (including floor areas or equipment
surfaces located underneath the components) for evidence of
leakage, or other areas to which such leakage may be
channeled, shall be required.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

A PWR is a nuclear power reactor, which uses light water as the
coolant and moderator.
The high temperature and high pressure coolant (i.e., primary system:
reactor coolant system) from the core (RPV) is sent to the steam
generators (S.Gs) of this primary system, to generate steam of the
secondary feedwater coolant.
Then, the steam is ultimately sent to a turbine generator system to
generate electricity.
In the state of high temperature and high pressure, there is no boiling
of the coolant in the reactor core.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Containment Building
The entire reactor coolant system is located in containment
building, which isolates the radioactive reactor coolant system from
the environment in the event of a leak.
The containment building is designed to contain the pressure
produced by the complete blow down of the reactor coolant system
inside the containment building as a result of a system piping
rupture.
The containment also contains accumulators for injecting the
borated water into the RCS during accidents.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Control Building
The control building contains the central control room with its
console and control panels, as well as the relay room with its relays
and controllers.
The control building houses the main control room, the cable
spreading room, auxiliary instrument room, and computer.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Auxiliary Building
Safety related and potentially radioactive auxiliary system are
located in auxiliary building which is located between the control
building and the containment.
It houses the residual heat removal system, the safety injection
system, the component cooling system etc.
A fuel storage area (part of the auxiliary building) is provided for
handling and storage of new and spent fuel.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Turbine Building
The turbine building contains all the power conversion system.
The main turbines and turbine auxiliaries, moisture separator /
reheaters, feedwater heaters, main condenser, condensate booster
and feedwater pumps, etc., are all located in the turbine building.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Basic Configuration of PWRs
The PWR consists of a primary system (reactor system) and a
secondary system (steam system) in order to keep radioactive
materials in the primary system.
The reactor coolant in a reactor vessel of the primary system is
pressurized so that it circulates with reactor coolant pumps without
boiling, and the high temperature and high pressure reactor coolant
moves from a reactor core to steam generators (primary side) for
effective heat transfer.
Within the steam generators, heat exchange occurs at heat
transfer tubes transporting the heat from the primary side to the
secondary side, and steam is generated.
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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Basic Configuration of PWRs
This steam is sent to a turbine to drive a generator, condensed in
condensers to water, and sent back to the steam generators
(secondary side) with main feedwater pumps (feedwater).

PWR Major systems

Primary Cooling System,

Chemical and Volume Control System,
Emergency Core Cooling System,
Containment Spray System,
Residual Heat Removal System,
Turbine generator System, etc.
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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Primary Cooling System (RCS)
The PWR cooling system is provided, for the following
functions:
To circulate the reactor coolant heated within the reactor core,
to transfer heat to S.G., and to generate high temperature and
high pressure steam, which is ultimately discharged to drive a
turbine,
To provide adequate core cooling, in order not to cause any
core damage during reactor operation,
To be a coolant pressure boundary that is a barrier to prevent
leakage of radioactive materials contained in the reactor
coolant to the outside,
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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Primary Cooling System (RCS)
To be moderator and reflector, and to contain the reactor
coolant that has a role of solvent of the boron neutron absorber,
and To control the primary system pressure constant with a
pressurizer.

Major Equipments of Primary Cooling System are:

Reactor Coolant Pumps (RCPs)

Steam Generators (SGs)
Pressurizer
Piping

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Chemical and Volume Control System (CVCS)
The CVCS extracts some part of the primary coolant from one
primary coolant cold leg and returns it to another primary coolant
cold leg, after passing it through a makeup line, and consists of
components, piping and valves.

Functions: (supporting to RCS)

Makeup of the primary coolant (if any), in order to maintain the
required coolant inventory in RCS, by maintaining the required
water level in the pressurizer.
Removal of fission and corrosion products, from coolant,
Adjustment of the boric acid concentration in coolant, and Supply
of the water to the shaft seal area of the RCPs, etc.
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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS)
In case of the primary coolant loss from the reactor core, due to
pipe break accident of a reactor cooling system (i.e., LOCA), this
system is provided to prevent the fuel failure.

Containment Spray System (SCS)

After LOCA accident, the temperature and pressure in the reactor
containment rise due to fuel decay heat. A radioactive iodine
removal chemical is added in the borated water of Refueling Water
Storage Tank.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Containment Spray System (SCS)
The SCS sprays borated water through spray nozzles installed in
the upper part of the containment for inside cooling of the
containment in order to:
Cool down and condensate the steam in the containment.
Reduce its internal pressure.
Absorb iodine and reduce its concentration with the spray water
droplet.
To provide long time continuous spray, the recirculation line
from the reactor containment sump is provided.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Containment Spray System (SCS)
The main functions of SCS are:
To reduce the temperature and pressure
To remove radioactive materials, such as iodine, in the air.
To prevent release of radioactive materials to the outside of the
reactor containment.

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PLANT SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS

Residual Heat Removal System (RHRS)
The main functions of RHRS are:
To remove the residual decay heat from the reactor core,
To cool down the nuclear reactor during plant shut down and
refueling, and
To provide low pressure coolant injection in case of LOCA.

Turbine Generator System

The PWR plant is separated completely into the primary system
and the secondary system. Since the steam generated in a S.G.
does not contain radioactivity, the turbine generator system is
almost the same to that of the conventional thermal power plant.
The steam generated within the S.G. is ultimately sent to a turbine
generator system to generate electricity.
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Thank You
for
Your Attention

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