The burp test : a method for in-situ response-time testing of pressure-sensing lines in nuclear power plants

Commercial nuclear power plants are equipped with instrumentation designed to detect unsafe conditions and, if required, to initiate protective action. The time elapsed between the realization of an unsafe condition and the initiation of protective action is known as the "response time" of the instrumentation involved. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued guidelines which advise periodic in-situ "response-time" testing of "safety-related" instrumentation.

No method is presently available for in-situ response-time testing of "pressure sensing lines" (fluid-filled tubes connecting process to pressure transducer). A proposed method of doing just that is investigated in this thesis. The theoretical basis of the method is presented, followed by a description of the experimental investigation. It is concluded that, although the method appears to work, it is not justified in light of practical considerations.