Regulatory Perspective on Chemistry Control at NPPs

Abstract of the technical paper/presentation presented at:
Technical Meeting on the Control and Monitoring of Coolant Chemistry and Related Issues on Fuel Reliability in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors
November 25-28, 2019

Prepared by:
Sophie Gingras/Craig Holvey
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Abstract

This paper/presentation provides a regulatory perspective on the verification of licensees’ activities related to chemistry control. Verification activities include analyzing chemistry data provided by NPP licensees, performing inspections, and monitoring recent reportable events. The scope of these verification activities can be influenced by recent research in reactor chemistry.

Despite these verification activities, chemistry-related incidents do occasionally occur. A brief summary of a sample of events related to chemistry control is provided, along with the follow-up action taken by the CNSC. Examples of the regulatory oversight of licensees’ reactor chemistry-related licensee activities are also provided.

To obtain a copy of the abstract’s document, please contact us at cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca or call 613-995-5894 or 1-800-668-5284 (in Canada). When contacting us, please provide the title and date of the abstract.