Pilgrim Station Steam Separator Lifting Lug Material Evaluation and Analysis

Abstract

During Refueling Outage 18 (RFO18, April 2011) Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) identified crack-like indications on the Steam Separator Lifting Lugs. A multi-disciplinary engineering effort was undertaken to determine the cause of the cracking and prepare the technical justification for long term operation of the lifting lugs. This approach focused on addressing the potential for future degradation due to the existing indications, and the resulting effects on the hardware and its function. A materials evaluation concluded that intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC), most likely associated with cold work present in the as-fabricated steam separator, was the cause of the indications found on the lifting lugs. To support long term operation of the lifting lugs at PNPS, a structural evaluation was completed using ANSI N14.6 and NUREG-0612 criteria with a conservative bounding configuration. Crack growth rates, based on BWRVIP-76 guidance of 5E-5 in/hr for length and 2.2E-5 in/hour for depth, were used in the analyses. The evaluation concluded that PNPS could continue with long term operation of the Steam Separator. Consistent with standard practice, a general heavy loads examination was performed in 2013 (RFO19), confirming no discernable changes. The general examination will be repeated in 2015 (RFO20), and an examination of the lifting lugs is planned for the 2017 Refueling Outage (RFO21) to confirm that the indication behavior is consistent with the evaluation results.