As plants reach their 50-year milestones, the degradation of components is an increasing concern. Guide cards, housed inside control rod guide tubes, ensure that Rod Control Cluster Assemblies (RCCAs) will insert properly during a reactor trip. Guide card wear is an expected aging phenomenon; however, several key factors can play a part in increasing the speed of degradation and therefore your risk of shutdown impact or potential safety issues.
The Westinghouse Guide Card Wear Measurement (GCWM) program was established to address the issue of guide card wear in the industry. Through the GCWM, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) inspection and evaluation guidelines Materials Reliability Program (MRP) MRP-227-A base requirements will be met or exceeded. Westinghouse can also provide recommendations for subsequent inspections by forecasting data relative to the wear criteria and future degradation rates.
Combining state-of-the-art software technology with proven inspection and evaluation experience, Westinghouse is prepared to address your emerging guide card wear issues during your next plant outage.