Equipment Reliability: When Utility Meets Manufacturing

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Eglin ◽  
Joel Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Plant Management ◽  
Equipment Management ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Equipment Reliability

In a world striving for continuous improvement, the utility and manufacturing industries appear to have taken different paths to success. But are they the same and can we learn from them to take a revolutionary step towards manufacturing excellence for Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel? The safety critical environment that is the hallmark of the nuclear industry has led the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) to develop a rigorous and disciplined approach to equipment reliability that is repeated across the nuclear generation industry. This is manifested in well documented processes and procedures in response to the heavily audited power generation segment. INPO’s Equipment Reliability guideline, AP-913, is a top down methodology that captures equipment history and best practices to tie together activities throughout a station to improve reliability. Manufacturing however is breeding a culture of continuous improvement, or “kaizens”, where “Lean” and “Total Productive Maintenance” (TPM) tools and techniques drive a multiplicity of incremental improvements. The manufacturing concepts and approaches of Lean and TPM were developed originally in Japan by such companies as Toyota and Motorola and formalized by the Japan Institute of Plant Management as an equipment management strategy, which was designed to support the Total Quality Management strategy. Lean and TPM are fostered by professional societies and are well described in a body of literature with decades of experience. Since this paper provides a cross-discipline comparison in a primarily nuclear applications conference, introductory material for the TPM methodology is referenced, while only overview concepts are described herein. It is hoped that this will spur the reader to develop a more complete understanding of TPM, to further integrate these applications in both industries. This paper provides an initial overview of how Westinghouse Fuel Manufacturing is developing an equipment reliability programme that is exploiting the best practices of the AP-913 integrated processes with the strong continuous improvement tool set of manufacturing. We have just begun to roll-out the new processes and guidelines. In future papers, more detailed comparisons and lessons learned from implementation will be described.

scholarly journals Modelo Aplicable A La Gestión De Procesos Ágiles De Desarrollo De Software Basado En Cmmi –Dev 1.3 Y Scrum

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Iglesias ◽  
Acellys Messino ◽  
Patty Pedroza ◽  
Ricardo Llanos
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Process Management ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Agile Development ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Model Quality ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
Buenas Prácticas

El presente Artículo de Investigación propone un modelo orientado a las necesidades de calidad total en las organizaciones dedicadas al desarrollo de software conforme a la alineación de los procesos de desarrollo y gestión con los objetivos organizacionales; lo cual hace pertinente la formulación de un modelo de gestión de procesos de desarrollo basado en los principios y prácticas del enfoque ágil, orientado hacia la aplicación de buenas prácticas y procesos de mejora continua. El modelo planteado se denomina SUMM - “Modelo Unificado de Madurez de Scrum” y está orientado a la gestión de procesos ágiles de desarrollo de software enmarcados en las buenas prácticas de CMMI-DEV 1.3 y el marco de trabajo de SCRUM. SUMM consta de cinco niveles de madurez, de acuerdo a la representación por etapas de CMMI - DEV, estos niveles a su vez están compuestos de Metas, Objetivos, Prácticas e Indicadores que permitirán a la organización poder emplear un modelo de desarrollo ágil de calidad, enfocados en procesos de mejora continua.AbstractThis article of Research proposes a model oriented to the needs of total quality in organizations dedicated to software development according to the alignment of development and management processes with organizational objectives, which makes the formulation of relevant management model development process based on the principles and practices of agile approach towards the application of best practices and continuous improvement processes. The proposed model is called SUMM - "Unified Model Scrum Maturity" and is focused on process management software development agile framed in the best practices of CMMI-DEV 1.3 and SCRUM framework. SUMM consists of five maturity levels, according to the staged representation of CMMI - DEV, these levels in turn are composed of Goals, Objectives, Practices and indicators that enable the organization to employ an agile development model quality focused on continuous improvement processes.

scholarly journals A Critical Review of Health Impact Assessments in Ontario's Nuclear Industry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Mueller
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Informed Decision Making ◽  
Health Impact Assessments ◽  
Public Health And Safety

Risk is central to the health effects of nuclear power plants. The regulator in Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), claims to employ international best practices and risk-informed decision-making to ensure Canadian plants are among the safest in the world. Environmental Assessment (EA), required for operating license approval, is used to determine whether risks to pubic health, both chronic and catastrophic, are within acceptable limits. The main objective of this thesis is to establish Health Risk Assessment (HRA) best practices, approximated by the degree of concordance among HRA authorities, and use these concepts to evaluate EAs of recent nuclear power projects. The extent of compliance would ultimately reveal the CNSC’s commitment to protecting public health and safety. It is concluded from the review of six such EAs that the CNSC is falling short of best practices, ultimately approving projects without an accurate estimation of risk.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Nuclear Materials Retrieval Programs of the United States Department of Energy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaatrin Abbott ◽  
Zachary Geroux
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
United States Department

Abstract The Atomic Energy Act, as amended, authorizes the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies to distribute nuclear materials to public or private institutions for the purposes of education as well as research and development. Significant transformations throughout the nuclear industry have led to changes in programmatic responsibility for loaned nuclear materials. DOE has established several programs to catalog, transfer ownership, retrieve, and/or dispose of these loaned nuclear materials. The variety of loaned nuclear material types, as well as operational and regulatory variations between facility licensees have created unique challenges for the retrieval and dispositioning processes. These include packaging and transportation, confirmation of regulatory jurisdiction, property transfer, and disposal of sources with no remaining economic value. This paper explores the methods and actions taken by DOE to address these challenges. Lessons learned and best practices identified from these programs are also presented.

Fire PRA Database Development and Applications

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Rochon ◽  
Barbara R. Baron ◽  
Clarence L. Worrell ◽  
Mark A. Ferrel
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Probabilistic Risk Assessment ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Database Development ◽  
Database Structure

Support Task B, the Fire Probabilistic Risk Assessment (FPRA) Database, is an important organizational task that directly supports nearly all of the NUREG/CR-6850 FPRA development tasks (Reference 1). As a result, the database structure can become quite complex. Westinghouse has created a FPRA Database to support the Wolf Creek Generating Station (WCGS) FPRA development project and has acquired a number of lessons learned and best practices that can be applied to the development of a FPRA for any nuclear power plant. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the WCGS FPRA Database structure and to share the lessons learned and best practices acquired during its development.

Single Point Vulnerabilities Management Strategy of Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wang Hanlin
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Equipment Reliability ◽  
Criticality Analysis ◽  
Plant Shutdown

Abstract A SPV (Single Point Vulnerability) analysis consists of a list of trains, components or tag IDs, any which could result in a plant shutdown or significant load reduction were the affected equipment be unable to perform its function in supporting generation. Usually, a SPV related components or tag IDs that are identified as a part of an AP-913 based component criticality analysis. But how can we build a solid SPV component management strategy is a key issue for a heathy equipment reliability process. This paper developed a good practices to integrated SPV which related to the generation risk management into the equipment reliability process.

scholarly journals Integrating management strategy evaluation into fisheries management: advancing best practices for stakeholder inclusion based on an MSE for Northeast US Atlantic herring,

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 1103-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.G. Feeney ◽  
D.V. Boelke ◽  
J.J. Deroba ◽  
S. Gaichas ◽  
B.J. Irwin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
New England ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Atlantic Herring ◽  
Management Strategy Evaluation ◽  
Strategy Evaluation

The New England Fishery Management Council used management strategy evaluation (MSE) to evaluate possible harvest control rules for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), the first MSE in the US and perhaps globally to use open-invitation, public workshops for input. Stakeholder inclusion can increase both realism and likelihood of use by managers, but inclusivity is not achieved easily. Here, self-selected participants had diverse backgrounds and differing levels of interest and preparedness. We describe some challenges with directly engaging the public in MSE and offer broader insights for obtaining effective public participation during a decision-making process. Conducting an open MSE aligns well with publicly driven management but requires clear goals and communication. Investment in effective organizers, impartial facilitators, and knowledgeable analysts can improve communication and understanding of MSE to the betterment of fisheries management. We aim to further MSE best practices on integrating stakeholders and hope that our lessons learned on communication, engagement, and integration of MSE into an existing management arena will be useful to other practitioners.

Three Mile Island—A Year & a Half Later

1980 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 285-285
Author(s):  
Donald E. Parr
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Industry Planning ◽  
The Military

Following last year's Three Mile Island (TMI) Accident, there remains much concern about what is being done to prevent future incidents. With obvious emphasis on the major role played by human error, the human factors community, some members of the nuclear industry, and even the general public, saw possible implications for human factors applications in the nuclear power industry. What was needed was a rational definition of possible human performance contributions to the accident, a carefully thoughtout plan for both short and long term improvements, and then everyone pitching in to help make an already safe and efficient industry even better. A unique opportunity existed to emphasize human factors contributions to system performance while taking advantage of many applicable “lessons learned” in aerospace and the military. What occurred over the eighteen months since TMI was a mixture of confused responses rivaling Abbott& Costello's famed “Who's on first?!” routine. Human factors specialists, snake oil salesmen, and many inexperienced but eager individuals and companies rushed headlong into the nuclear age with threats, promises, and simple solutions to “save the industry.” However, even before TMI, some useful activities were underway and others have been planned and pursued since. This paper provides an overall summary of human factors related activities including industry planning, active contract activities, studies, research, and a comprehensive bibliography.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from the EU Referendum to Better Promote Nuclear Energy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W Bingham
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Public ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right

Abstract The need for investment in new nuclear is vital to achieve the decarbonization targets put forward by governments around the world (particularly in the UK) and secure the supply of energy for generations to come. For governments to invest in this costly and time-consuming solution public support is needed, something that has traditionally been difficult to attain. Similarities can be seen between the way nuclear is perceived today and how perceptions of the European Union were utilized to great effect in the British referendum on membership. Understanding of the real issues, targeting the right sections of the public and use of secondary messaging all combined to win a referendum for a side that was given very little hope of victory. A referendum type question on nuclear power would be similarly divisive with large supporter bases against the technology. Therefore, these lessons must be understood if the nuclear industry is to continue to grow and thrive in the modern and future low carbon economies.

Assessment of major causes: nuclear power plant disasters since 1950

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayanti Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Jessica Halligan ◽  
Makarand Hastak
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Nuclear Operators ◽  
Common Causes

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the major causes of the nuclear power plant (NPP) disasters since 1950, elucidates the commonalities between them and recommends strategies to minimize the risk of NPP disasters. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes facts from five case studies: Chernobyl disaster, USSR 1986; Fukushima Daiichi disaster, Japan 2011; Three Mile Island incident, USA 1979; Chalk River Accident, Canada 1952; and SL-1 Accident, USA 1961. A qualitative approach is adopted to compare and contrast the major reasons that led to the accidents, and consequent social and technological impacts of the disasters on environment, society, economy and nuclear industry are analyzed. Findings Although each of the nuclear accidents is unique in terms of its occurrence and impacts, this research study found some common causes behind the accidents. Faulty system design, equipment failure, inadequate safety and warning systems, violation of safety regulations, lack of training of the nuclear operators and ignorance from the operators and regulators side were found to be the major common causes behind the accidents. Originality/value This paper recommends some of the nuclear disaster risk reduction strategies in terms of “lessons learned from the past accidents”. The findings of the research paper would serve as an information tool for the nuclear professionals for informed decision-making and planning for proper preventive measures well in advance so that the mistakes which led to the occurrence of accidents in the past are not repeated in the future.

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