Use of simulation in the NDE qualification process in France. Application to the EPR RPV inspection

摘要

The French Ministerial Order of 10 November 1999 requires the qualification of allrnNDE carried out on the Main Primary Circuit of a Nuclear Power Plant in France. Thisrnapplies equally to the In-Service Inspection of the existing fleet as to the Pre-Service,rnand eventual In-Service, Inspection (PSI and ISI) for the European Pressurised-waterrnReactor (EPR) New Build programme in France. The qualification procedurernestablishes the level of performance guaranteed by each inspection process (in terms ofrncoverage of the zone to be inspected, sensitivity of the process, and defect sizing andrnpositioning), and is supported by three elements: engineering reasoning, simulation andrnphysical trials.rnThis paper will explore the use of simulations in the qualification process to be carriedrnout on the EPR in France, building on the experience from the existing fleet. The focusrnwill be on the influence of the identified variables on the process performances throughrnthe use of ultrasound (US) simulations (based on CIVA software). Comparison will bernmade with the final physical trials to consolidate the findings. The process will bernillustrated by real applications relating to the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV), inrnparticular to the flange boltholes.