April 12, 1999

Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), Japan

Inviting Participants in the Huge Seismic Tests

at Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory of NUPEC

for the next decade on International Cooperation Basis

NUPEC has been conducting a number of large-scale Seismic Proving Tests since 1982 at its Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan, some of which were conducted as cooperative vibration tests with USNRC.

NUPEC, in consultation with MITI, is now planning to carry out the large-scale vibration tests described below on international cooperation basis and willing to invite overseas participants in those tests.

1. Test Subjects

The following large-scale vibration tests will be scheduled.

(1)     Seismic Proving Test of Nuclear Piping Ultimate Strength (MITI finance appropriated)

The test is outlined in the delivered document "Research Activities in Japan".

(2)     Seismic Proving Test of Aged (or Degraded) Piping (under planning and in negotiation with MITI)

Ultimate strength test will be conducted with simulated aged piping, e.g., corroded and/or eroded piping. The tests consist of component tests, simple system tests and large-scale tests.

(3)     Seismic Tests for Ultimate Integrity of Active Components (under planning and in negotiation with MITI)

The tests will be conducted under high level seismic input exceeding the design conditions to study the structural and functional integrity.

(4)     Other seismic tests proposed by participants

NUPEC will discuss with participants on other possible seismic tests at Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory according to their requests.

2. Methods of International Cooperation

The above-mentioned tests will require a large amount of costs (presumably about 25-30 million US dollars per test series). NUPEC will take into account the situation of the participants and is ready to discuss the cooperative terms and conditions with the following two schemes:

(1)     Scheme I  : Whole cost sharing

(2)     Scheme II  : Analysis cost sharing