The Nuclear Energy Standards Coordination Collaborative (NESCC) has released a topical report from its Electrical Cable Task Group (ECTG) titled "Electrical Cable Aging and Condition Monitoring Codes and Standards for Nuclear Power Plants: Current Status and Recommendations for Future Development." The report grew out of NESCC discussions related to the potential expansion of nuclear power plant lifespans to 60 years, up from 40 years. Participants raised concerns about the impact of this possible change on cables, which can suffer from aging-related decay, prompting a focus on the standards and codes that provide support and rules for the assessment and monitoring of nuclear power plant cables. The topical report provides an overview of documents related to electrical cables used in nuclear power plants, including U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulatory documents and cable-related standards cited in relevant NRC documents. It also lists standards and regulations that require updating and new, relevant standards that should be included in revised versions of current NRC regulations, among other content. The report recommends the execution of new studies on the aging of cables used in nuclear power plants as well as the correlation between accelerated exposure and natural aging conditions for cables. Other recommendations include the development of definitions of low and medium voltage and the carrying out of new or additional research into low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) cables, the adequacy of existing cable characterization techniques, and issues related to activation energy and the water submergence of cables.
A joint initiative of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NESCC seeks to identify the standards needed for the design, operation, development, licensing, and deployment of nuclear power plants and other nuclear technologies. The NESCC's ECTG, which was formed in July 2011, is made up of representatives of standards developing organizations (SDOs), government agencies, nuclear power plant operators, and industry groups, among others. Stephanie Watson of NIST and Corey McDaniel of the Marmon Engineered Wire and Cable Group serve as the task group's co-chairs.
The full report by the ECTG is available online. For more information about the NESCC and its activities, visit www.ansi.org/nuclear.