U.s. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Estimating Loss-of-coolant Accident (Loca) Frequencies Through the Elicitation Process Appendices a Through M U.s. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The NRC is establishing a risk-informed revision of the design-basis pipe break size requirements in 10 CFR 50.46, Appendix K to Part 50, and GDC 35 which requires estimates of LOCA frequencies as a function of break size. Separate BWR and PWR piping and non-piping passive system LOCA frequency estimates were developed as a function of effective break size and operating time through the end of the plant license-renewal period. The estimates were based on an expert elicitation process which consolidated operating experience and insights from probabilistic fracture mechanics studies with knowledge of plant design, operation, and material performance. The elicitation required each member of an expert panel to qualitatively and quantitatively assess important LOCA contributing factors and quantify their uncertainty. The quantitative responses were combined to develop BWR and PWR total LOCA frequency estimates for each contributing panelist. The distributions for the six LOCA size categories and three time periods evaluated are represented by four parameters (mean, median, 5th and 95th percentiles). Finally, the individual estimates were aggregated to obtain group estimates, along with measures of panel diversity.