U.S.NUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONREGULATORYGUIDEOFFICEOFSTANDARDSDEVELOPMENTREGULATORYGUIDE1.68.1PREOPERATIONALANDINITIALSTARTUPTESTINGOFFEEDWATERANDCONDENSATESYSTEMSFORBOILINGWATERREACTORPOWERPLANTSA.INTRODUCTIONGeneralDesignCriterionI,QualityStandardsandRecords,ofAppendixA,GeneralDesignCriteriaforNuclearPowerPlants,to10CFRPart50,LicensingofProductionandUtilizationFacilities,requiresthatnuclearpowerplantstructures,systems,andcomponentsimportanttosafetybetestedtoqualitystandardscommensuratewiththeimportanceofthesafetyfunctionstobeperformed.CriterionXI,TestControl,ofAppendixB,QualityAssuranceCriteriaforNuclearPowerPlantsandFuelReprocessingPlants,to10CFRPart50requiresthatatestprogrambeestablishedtoensureidentificationandperformanceofalltesting.-requiredtodemonstratethatstructures,systems,andcomponentswillperformsatisfactorilyinservice.RegulatoryGuide1.68,InitialTestProgramsforWater-CooledReactorPowerPlants,identifiestestsacceptabletotheNRCstaffforpreoperationalandstartuptestingofnuclearpowerplantstructures,systems,andcomponents.Testsforboilingwaterreactor(BWR)powerconversionsystemsaredescribedinRegulatoryGuide1.68toprovideassurancethatthesesystemswillperformasdesignedandtoaidinminimizingtheprobabilityofsystemmalfunctionsduringsubsequentplantoperations.ThisguidedescribesinmoredetailthetypeandnatureofBWRfeedwat'erandcondensatesystemteststhatareacceptabletothestaff.TheAdvisoryCommitteeonReactorSafeguardshasbeenconCLinesindicatesubstantivechangesfrompreviousissue.RevisionIJanuary1977suitedconcerningthisguideandhasconcurredintheregulatoryposition.B.DISCUSSIONIn1972theAECinvestigatedeightabnormaloccurrencesatfivedifferentBWRpowerplantswhichinvolvedinadvertentreleaseofsignificantamountsofprimarycoolantintoprimarycontainmentthroughmainsteamlinesafetyandreliefvalves.Thestudy'revealedthattheabilitytoautomaticallycontrolreactorvesselwaterlevelwithinacceptableboundsduringanticipatedtransientswaslessthansatisfactory.Therehavealsobeenabnormaloccurrencesassociatedwithfeedwatersystemsatoperatingnuclearpowerplantsthatresultedfromexcessivevibrationofsystemcomponentsandpiping.Theseoperatingproblemscouldhavebeenidentifiedbythoroughtestingdurihgtheinitialtestprogram.Afterconsideringtheexperiencetodate,theNRCstaffhasconcludedthatguidanceshouldbeprovidedregardingthepreoperationalandinitialstartuptestingidentifiedinRegulatoryGuide1.68fortheBWRfeedwaterandcondensatesystems.ThisguideaddressesbothpreoperationalandinitialplantstartupphasesofthetestingofBWRpowerplantfeedwaterandcondensatesystems.'EvaluationofPrimaryCoolantReleasefromOperatingBoilingWaterReactors.WASH-1260/LK:copiesmaybeobtainedfromtheNationalTechnicalInformationService.U.S.DepartmentorCommerce.Springfield.VA22151.USNRCREGULATORYGUIDESCommentsshouldbesenttotheSecretaryoftheCommission.U.S.NuclearSRegulatoryCommission.Washington.D.C.2D556.Attention.Dockoting•andRegulatoryGuidesareissuedtodescribeandmakeavailabletothepubicServiceSectionmmethodsacceptabletotheNRCstaffofimplementingspecificpartsoftheCommissiqn'sregulations.todelineatetechniquesusedbythestaffinevalu.Theguidesareissuedinthefollowingtenbroaddivisions:stingspecificproblemsorpostulatedaccidents.ortoprovideguidancetoappli.cants.RegulatoryGuidesarenotsubstitutesforreguletions.endcomplisance1.PowerReactors6.Productswiththemisnotrequired.Methodsendsolutionsdifferentfromthosesetoutin2.ResearchendTeitReactors7.TransportationtheguideswillbeacceptableHtheyprovideabasisforthefindingsrequisiteto3.fuelsandMaterialsFacilitiesa.OccupationalHuesththessuanceorcontinuanceof*permitorlicensebytheCommission.4.Environmentalandtting9.AntitrustReviewCommentsendeuggestionsforimprovementsintheseguidesareencouragedS.MaterialsendPantProtection10.Generalatalltimes,andguideswillberevised.asappropriate.toaccommodatecommentsandtoreflectnewinformationorexperience.ThisguidewasrevasesasaCopiesofpublishedguidesmaybeobtainedbywrittenrequestindicatingtheresultofsubstantivecommentsreceivedfromthepublicandadditionalstaffdivisionsdesiredtotheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission.NWashington.D.C.fren~.-65.,Attention:Director.OfficeofStandardsDevelopment.IC.REGULATORYPOSITIONComprehensivepreoperationalandinitialstartuptestingprogramsonthefeedwaterandcondensatesystemsofboilingwaterreactorsshouldbeperformedtoprovideassurancethatthesesystemswillaccomplishtherequiredfunctionsundernormaloperationalandtransientconditionsasstatedinthesafetyanalysisreport.Preoperationaltestingisconductedpriortofuelloadingtodeterminecomponentoperabilityandperformanceandtoverifypropersysteminstallation.Whileasmuchofthistypeoftestingaspracticableshouldbeaccomplishedduringthisphase,theabilitytoconductsomesystem-leveltestingandcomponenttestingislimitedbytheunavailabilityofreactorpowerorsystemflowpaths,orotherfactors.Thus,thesetestsshouldbecompletedaspartoftheinitialplantstartuptestprogram.Teststhatweresatisfactorilycompletedduringpreoperationaltestingneednotberepeated.1.PreoperationalTestingThepreoperationalphaseoftheinitialtestprogramshouldincludeatleasttestsandmeasurementstoverifythefollow