Ageing Management For Research Reactors

This Safety Guide provides practical guidance and recommendations on ageing management for research reactors, to meet the relevant requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSR-3, Safety of Research Reactors. It is intended for use by operating organizations in establishing, implementing and improving ageing management programmes for research reactors, and by regulatory bodies in verifying that ageing of research reactors is being effectively managed. The Safety Guide focuses on managing the physical ageing of systems, structures and components important to safety, and also provides guidance on safety aspects of managing obsolescence. This Safety Guide is a revision of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSG-10, which it supersedes.

"This Safety Guide provides practical guidance and recommendations on ageing management for the safety related systems, structures and components of research reactors on the basis of current international good practices. It is intended for use by operating organizations in establishing, implementing and improving ageing management programmes for research reactors, and by regulatory bodies in verifying that ageing of research reactors is being effectively managed. The Safety Guide focuses on managing the physical ageing of systems, structures and components important to safety, and also provides guidance on safety aspects of managing obsolescence ... Subject Classification: 0604 - Research reactors. Responsible Officer: Mr Amgad Mohamed Amin Shokr, NSNI."--Provided by publisher.

This Safety Guide provides practical guidance and recommendations on ageing management for the safety related systems, structures and components of research reactors on the basis of current international good practices. It is intended for use by operating organizations in establishing, implementing and improving ageing management programmes for research reactors, and by regulatory bodies in verifying that ageing of research reactors is being effectively managed. The Safety Guide focuses on managing the physical ageing of systems, structures and components important to safety, and also provides.

Research reactors have played an important role in several scientific fields for around 60 years: in the development of nuclear science and technology; in the valuable generation of radioisotopes for various applications; and in the development of human resources and skills. Moreover, research reactors have been effectively utilized to support sustainable development in more than 60 countries worldwide. More than half of all operating research reactors are now over 40 years old, with many exceeding their originally conceived design life. The majority of operating research reactors face challenges due to the negative impacts of component and system ageing, which manifest in a number of forms. Several facilities have established a proactive systematic approach to managing ageing or mitigating its impact on safety and availability of isotopes. The IAEA is working to systematically collect existing knowledge on research reactor ageing management.

This report results from a Coordinated Research Project on ""Ageing of Materials in Spent Fuel Storage Facilities"". It includes sections on the status of the understanding of the ageing of selected materials and on management of ageing.

The ageing of structures, systems and components is one of the major challenges faced by nuclear fuel cycle facilities worldwide. This publication is intended to provide information on methods, approaches, practices and strategies for ageing management of nuclear fuel cycle facilities. It provides practical information on the establishment of effective ageing management programmes for nuclear fuel cycle facilities in the operational stage and on ageing management considerations in different stages in the lifetime of a nuclear fuel cycle facility. It also addresses the interface of ageing management with other technical areas and programmes, including maintenance, periodic testing and inspection, equipment qualification and configuration management. Best practice examples on how Member States are addressing ageing issues in nuclear fuel cycle facilities are also provided in this publication.