Baffle bolt failures—a B&W Owners Group approach Original Research Article

Indications of baffle bolt cracking have been reported at European pressurized water reactors. The Generic License Renewal Program established by the B&W Owners Group (B&WOG) has determined that the potential for baffle bolt failures in B&W-designed operating plants must be investigated, and has initiated programs to address the issue. The objectives of this paper are to describe the core barrel assembly configuration, summarize current known information on the degradation of reactor vessel internals baffle bolts worldwide, and present future actions of the B&WOG to address the baffle bolt failure issue.