Nuclear qualification process for systems, structures and components

Abstract

The modern NPPs (Nuclear Power Plants) are the part of the very complex and demanding sector of industry. Its complexity is based on the innovate and the high-tech technologies, engineered safety features where the specific safety functions are to be performed to ensure the nuclear safety (as part of technosphere safety) and prevent radioactivity release, which consequently lead to the possible human losses and environmental disasters. Consequently, modern technologies incorporated in the design and construction of NPP (its systems, structure and components) shall be qualified to ensure its capability to perform designated safety functions in the demanded conditions, including harsh accident environment (qualified as intended) via the specific V&V activities. Thus, Qualification should not cover only the equipment, but the all: systems, structures and components (SSC), therefore a systematic approach to its organization and planning is needed, which is not fully presented in publications nowadays. The article objective is to define the SSC Qualification and its scope of application, identify the Functional and Environmental qualification and forming of the Qualification context. Then, the article determines the V&V actions that provide Qualification evidences.