CHECWORKSTM - An integrated computer program for controlling flow-accelerated corrosion

EPRI has been developing technology to help plant owners control flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC). In 1987 and 1989, EPRI released the CHECreg and CHECMATEreg computer programs to predict the rate of wall thinning caused by FAC in lines containing single-phase water and two-phase wet steam mixtures, respectively. EPRI has also developed the CHEC-NDETM and CHEC-TTM programs to assist engineers in interpreting the inspection data and in performing structural acceptance calculations. These programs have proven to be very successful and are in use at almost all U.S. nuclear plants, at some U.S. fossil plants, and at some foreign nuclear plants. Recently, EPRI updated the technology and combined these individual programs into an integrated package called CHECWORKSTM. The first version of CHECWORKSTM was released in December 1993. An update, planned for May 1994, will meet the software quality assurance requirements of ISO 9000 and 10CFR5052 Appendix B. EPRI designed CHECWORKSTM to support predictions of other types of corrosion. In 1994, EPRI plans to release capability to predict cavitation in piping systems and to predict radiolysis and electro-chemical potential in BWR piping systems, and components and welds within the reactor vessel. This latter capability is intended to help plant owners control stress corrosion cracking of sensitized materials and to evaluate preventive options. Other corrosion predictions will be added in future years as the research progresses. (author)