Fuel assembly leakage, unit 4, cycle 22, Paks NPP

At the beginning of Cycle 22, Unit 4, Paks NPP the Iodine isotopes activity concentrations raised irregularly in the water of the primary circuit. Analysis supposed that from 1 to 10 fuel rods in one or more newly loaded follower assemblies had lost their integrity. Due to the fact it was not necessary to shut down the reactor, but at the end of the cycle sipping tests were performed for the entire core to find out the facts using a telescope sipping device supplied by H and B Co., Germany. This paper describes the circumstances of the emergence of the problem, the operational inspection and limitation rules in Paks NPP, the theoretical analysis to estimate the scope and kind of the problem, the sipping device and the measurement/evaluation methods applied for the practical tests, fulfilment the tests, the results and their evaluation and the conclusions regarding the event. (Authors)