NRC considering requiring verification of UFM accuracy

Washington (Platts)--1Jul2004

NRC staff is considering issuing a bulletin requiring licensees to confirm the
accuracy of any ultrasonic flow meters (UFM) that are installed in their
nuclear units. Details of the bulletin were uncertain based on discussions
this morning at a public meeting involving NRC staff, utility representatives
and UFM vendors Caldon and Westinghouse. The NRC is reacting to reports that
Caldon and Westinghouse clamp-on UFMs at several plants produced inaccurate
feedwater flow measurements resulting in operation of the plants for a period
of time over their licensed thermal power limits. The staff today said it also
has new questions about Caldon's latest UFMs, which are installed within a
plant's piping. A recently released NRC report seemed to minimize agency
concerns with those Caldon meters. Some Westinghouse and Caldon UFMs are used
for small power uprates. Caldon representatives at the meeting today
questioned NRC's proposed method for verifying the accuracy of UFMs. NRC staff
is expected to revise its proposal in time for a briefing July 8 of the
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.

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