ULTRASONIC CONTROL OF NUCLEAR POWER FACILITIES. NORMATIVE AND METHODOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

A brief description of the development and establishment of ultrasonic control from the point of view of normative and methodological documents in nuclear power engineering is given: its application since the middle of the 60s of the last century is known. Ultrasonic inspection as part of non-destructive testing is mandatory at all stages of the life cycle of nuclear power plants (NPPs): fabrication, installation, operation, repair, reconstruction and modernization. The requirements for it are set forth in the Rules and Regulations for Nuclear Power Engineering, GOSTs, and design documentation. Within the framework of the Russian system of conformity assessment in the field of atomic energy use (conformity assessment in the form of control), basic materials (forgings, stampings, sheets, pipes, castings) and welded joints of NPP equipment and pipelines are subjected to ultrasonic control. An analysis of paragraphs of regulatory and methodological documents causing ambiguous or disputable interpretation is presented. Special attention is given to the preparation procedures, in particular the fabrication of setting samples, setting up the instruments, performing the inspection, and evaluating the metal quality based on the results of the inspection. Appropriate comments and recommendations are provided to fully comply with the requirements of the documents, taking into account the features noted.