Technical Review of Acceptance Criteria for Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor Fuel

Fuel acceptance criteria can be used, among other things, as key inputs in the determination of operating limits and conditions for reactor operational states, in the determination of fitness for service criteria for anticipated operational occurrences, in the formulation of special safety system trip set points for accident conditions, and in the determination of a plant's safe operating envelope. This publication presents a collection of current practices of fuel acceptance criteria used in States with operating pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and provides the technical justification available for such criteria conditions. Following a technical meeting and a survey conducted on the use of fuel acceptance criteria in all PHWR operating States, this publication provides an overview of the role PHWR fuel acceptance criteria play in nuclear safety and details the technical basis of the reported fuel acceptance criteria. Topics where collaboration and further discussion between participating States would be beneficial are also highlighted.