RCC-E a Design Code for I and C and Electrical Systems

The paper deals with the stakes and strength of the RCC-E code applicable to Electrical and Instrumentation and control systems and components as regards dealing with safety class functions. The document is interlacing specifications between Owners, safety authorities, designers, and suppliers IAEA safety guides and IEC standards. The code is periodically updated and published by French Society for Design and Construction rules for Nuclear Island Components (AFCEN). The code is compliant with third generation PWR nuclear islands and aims to suit with national regulations as needed in a companion document. The Feedback experience of Fukushima and the licensing of UKEPR in the framework of Generic Design Assessment are lessons learnt that should be considered in the upgrading of the code. The code gathers a set of requirements and relevant good practices of several PWR design and construction practices related to the electrical and I and C systems and components, and electrical engineering documents dealing with systems, equipment and layout designs. Comprehensive statement including some recent developments will be provided about: - Offsite and onsite sources requirements including sources dealing the total loss of off sites and main onsite sources. - Highlights of a relevant protection level against high frequencies disturbances emitted by lightning strokes, Interfaces data used by any supplier or designer such as site data, rooms temperature, equipment maximum design temperature, alternative current and direct current electrical network voltages and frequency variation ranges, environmental conditions decoupling data, - Environmental Qualification process including normal, mild (earthquake resistant), harsh and severe accident ambient conditions. A suit made approach based on families, which are defined as a combination of mission time, duration and abnormal conditions (pressure, temperature, radiation), enables to better cope with Environmental Qualifications. - Electrical equipment separation requirements and isolation and decoupling solutions. (authors)