Experience and state of art of steam generator tubing examination in France

Since the launching of the French PWR program in 1970, twenty-one reactors have been put on line to day, twenty-six are under construction, and six are in project. They are of two types: 900 MW and 1300 MW. The first 1300 MW is to come on line in 1984. The steam generator is the heat exchanger between the primary and the secondary circuit. Since it is a sensitive part of the reactor, a high level of quality control has been required by the French Administration. Intercontrole as a subsidiary of the French Atomic Energy commission has been in charge of steam generator examinations since the beginning. The annual rate of examination has not stopped increasing since the first PSI in 1975. Till the end of 1981, Intercontrole has examined in France a total of 69 steam generators before service (PSI-100% of the tubes), 47 steam generators in service (ISI-about 35% of the tubes) and 43 steam generators for tubesheet plate cracks (TSI-100% of the tube holes). This year 28 steam generators are scheduled for ISI and 25 for TSI. This added to the inspections performed in foreign countries has required a continuously increasing supply of equipment and operators over the years. Working at such an industrial rate has made necessary the standardization and automation of the whole process of inspection: methods, training and equipment, along with the use of the highest standard in the technique