In response to industry events involving Alloy 600 material in reactor vessel closure head (RVCH) penetrations, a number of pressurized water reactor (PWR) utilities have, or intend to, replace the RVCH. In addition to the potential for eliminating material issues associated with Alloy 600, the RVCH replacement provides an ideal opportunity to implement upgrades to significantly reduce outage time and dose, as well as address personnel safety issues that may exist during reactor disassembly and reassembly.

Westinghouse has developed a program to design and implement RVCH upgrades integrated with the design and installation of the new RVCH.