Water hammer in nuclear power plants

In the past few years, licensees of operating reactors have reported a large number of water hammer events during commercial operation. Most of these events resulted in damage to piping supports and restraints. A few cases involved small cracks or ruptures in feedwater systems. As a result, in 1977 the NRC staff initiated a review of reported water hammer events and of the potential for occurrence of water hammer in all fluid systems that could have an impact on plant safety. The objectives of the review were to identify the causes of water hammer events that could affect reactor safety and to recommend further staff actions needed to reduce the likelihood of such events