UNENE collaborators announced as members of CNSC External Advisory Committee on pressure tubes
UNENE Research Advisory Committee Chair, Dr. Paul Spekkens, and UNENE-NSERC research chairs, McMaster University’s John Luxat and Queen’s University’s Mark Daymond, will support CNSC commission members by providing technical and scientific advice on pressure tubes.
AUG. 12, 2021 – The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced the members for its new External Advisory Committee (EAC) on pressure tubes.
UNENE Research Advisory Committee Chair, Dr. Paul Spekkens, and UNENE-NSERC research chairs, McMaster University’s John Luxat and Queen’s University’s Mark Daymond, will support CNSC by providing scientific and technological advice on pressure tubes.
The EAC’s purpose is to provide CNSC members and staff an external and impartial perspective on pressure tubes and hydrogen equivalent (Heq) modelling and exceedances.
A public commission will be held on Sept. 3 to discuss the discovery of the elevated Heq concentrations and the response from the nuclear power plant licensees and CNSC staff on the issue.
On July 11, Bruce Power reported measurements obtained from two pressure tubes above the generic predictions.
Due to the highly technical and scientific nature regarding nuclear reactor pressure tubes and the impact of hydrogen on the structure and robustness of pressure tubes, EAC was formed to provide technical and scientific expertise to the Commission in its regulatory decision-making regarding pressure tube fitness for service. This is to complement the expertise of Commission members and CNSC staff specialists, and to provide an external perspective for the benefit of Commission members in their role as decision-makers.
The EAC is not a decision-making body. It is expected to contribute to the technical soundness of decisions that will be made by the Commission. The Commission may adopt, modify or reject advice and recommendations from the EAC as it sees fit, according to broader considerations that will form the basis for Commission decisions.
Bruce Power has provided an explainer on pressure tube integrity for the public. It can be found here.
Click here for more information on the pressure tube EAC.