OECD/NEA Activities to Support Long Term Operation

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 707-711
Author(s):  
Andrei Blahoianu ◽  
◽  
Alejandro Huerta ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Plant Life

The Integrity and Aging of Components and Structures Working Group (IAGE) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)/Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) was established under the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) for three reasons: (i) to advance the current understanding of those aspects relevant to ensuring the integrity of structures, systems, and components ; (ii) to provide for guidance in choosing the optimal ways to handle challenges to the integrity of operating as well as new nuclear power plants, and (iii) to take an integrated approach to design, safety, and nuclear power plant life management. The group operates through annual plenary meetings and technical workshops and by issuing state-of-the-art reports and topical opinion papers. This paper details some recent IAGE activities and products, focusing on those dealing with the degradationmechanisms of metal and concrete components.

Comparison of Plant Life Management Approaches for Long Term Operations

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Nuzzo ◽  
Ki-Sig Kang
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Member States ◽  
Safety Review ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Life Management ◽  
Design Life ◽  
Plant Life

Many Member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have given high priority to long term operation of nuclear power plants beyond the timeframe originally anticipated (e.g. 30 or 40 years). Out of a total of 445 (369 GWe) operating nuclear power plants, 349 units (297 GWe) have been in operation for more than 20 years (as of November 2011) and many are engaged in investigations and studies aimed at prolonging the plant service life. The need for engineering support to operation, maintenance, safety review and life management for long term operation as well as education and training on LTO issues is increasingly evident. Plant life management (PLiM) techniques that can be defined as the integration of ageing and economic planning, have been used in operating nuclear power plants to maintain a high level of safety, optimize performance and justify long term operation (LTO) beyond the plant design life. In addition, as a follow up to the Fukushima accident, operators have become even more attentive to beyond design basis measures in the preparation of their plants for operation beyond their design life. In many countries, the safety performance of NPPs is periodically assessed and characterized via the periodic safety review (PSR) process. Regulatory review and acceptance of PSRs constitutes for these countries the licensing requirement for continued operation of the plant to the following PSR cycle (usually 10 years). In the USA and in other countries operating US designed plants, instead of a PSR process, a license renewal application (LRA) process is followed, which requires certain pre-requisites such as ageing management programmes, particularly for passive irreplaceable systems structures and components (SSCs). Active components are normally addressed via the maintenance rule (MR) requirements and other established regulatory processes. A third group of Member States have adopted a combined approach that incorporates elements of both the PSR process and selected LRA specific requirements, such as time limited ageing analysis. Taking into account this variety of approaches, the IAEA initiated work to collect and share information among Member States on good practices in plant life management for long term operation in nuclear power plants, by comparing the various approaches to the PSR reference and by drawing lessons learned from relevant applications and experiences.

“Making It Work”: The Vital Role of Commissioning in Nuclear Power Programs

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Special Relationship ◽  
Plant Component ◽  
Term Operation

This paper presents an overview of the duties of a nuclear power plant (NPP) commissioning organization and its special relationship with both the early stages of an NPP project and the long-term operation of such power plants. Decisions made early in the design and procurement process need to be understood by commissioning staff, and their implications need to be incorporated into commissioning programs. Commissioning programs also need to take the steps needed to baseline plant-component ageing programs to facilitate the long-term NPP operation.

scholarly journals Social Media: useful for high-risk industries? A study of nuclear energy in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-154
Author(s):  
Enrique Cobos-Urbina
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Corporate Reputation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Communication Tools ◽  
Term Operation

Social Media has become an unquestionable communicative tool for most organizations. Companies want to participate in the conversation on the network for various purposes: attracting new customers, promoting their products, exalting their brand, searching for prescribers, etc. However, those corporations that belong to risk sectors –as is the case of nuclear power plants– show initial suspicion because they consider that new forms of communication contribute to encouraging criticism of their business model, producing a deterioration in their image. The methodology used in this research is based on three pillars: a review of the literature on CSR, corporate reputation, Social Media and Nuclear Communication; exploration of Social Media in search of official profiles of nuclear power plants; and interviews with those responsible for communicating atomic plants to know their perception in the use of these supports. Spanish nuclear power plants do not actively use Social Media. These facilities rely on monologic communication tools and tactics, although they need dialogue for acceptance and long-term operation. Social Media are essential tools for risk sectors: to disseminate the science they make, to collect feedback and respond to criticism, and to seek consensus.

scholarly journals Long-term operation of a boiling pressure vessel and its internals

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-221
Author(s):  
Otso Cronvall
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
Degradation Mechanisms ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Reactor Pressure

This study concerns the long-term operation (LTO) of a boiling water reactor (BWR) reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and its internals. The main parts of this study are: survey on the susceptibility to degradation mechanisms, and computational time limited ageing analyses (TLAAs). The ageing of nuclear power plants (NPPs) emphasizes the need to anticipate the possible degradation mechanisms. The BWR survey on the susceptibility to these mechanisms uses the RPVs and significant internals of the Olkiluoto power plant units OL1 and OL2 as a pilot project. For the components that screened in, the potential to brittle, ductile or other degradation is determined. This was carried out by applying structural mechanics and fracture mechanics procedures. Only some most significant cases and results are presented here.

scholarly journals Demonstration of Fatigue for LTO License of NPP Borssele

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. C. Hannink ◽  
F. J. Blom ◽  
P. W. B. Quist ◽  
A. E. de Jong ◽  
W. Besuijen
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Temperature Measurements ◽  
Fatigue Assessment ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Load Monitoring ◽  
Number Of Cycles ◽  
Ageing Management

Long Term Operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants (NPPs) requires an ageing management review and a revalidation of Time Limited Ageing Analyses (TLAAs) of structures and components important for nuclear safety. An important ageing effect to manage is fatigue. Generally, the basis for this is formed by the fatigue analyses of the safety relevant components. In this paper, the methodology for the revalidation of fatigue TLAAs is demonstrated for LTO of NPP Borssele in the Netherlands. The LTO demonstration starts with a scoping survey to determine the components and locations having relevant fatigue loadings. The scope was defined by assessment against international practice and guidelines and engineering judgment. Next, a methodical review was performed of all existing fatigue TLAAs. This also includes the latest international developments regarding environmental effects. In order to reduce conservatism, a comparison was made between the number of cycles in the analyses and the number of cycles projected to the end of the intended LTO period. The projected number of cycles is based on transient counting. The loading conditions used in the analyses were assessed by means of temperature measurements by the fatigue monitoring system (FAMOS). As a result of the review, further fatigue assessment or assessment of environmental effects was necessary for certain locations. New analyses were performed using state-of-the-art calculation and assessment methods. The methodology is demonstrated by means of an example of the surge line. The model includes the piping, as well as the nozzles on the pressurizer and the main coolant line. The thermal loadings for the fatigue analysis are based on temperature measurements. Fatigue management of the NPP is ensured by means of the fatigue concept where load monitoring, transient counting and fatigue assessment are coupled through an integrated approach during the entire period of LTO.

scholarly journals Safety assurance through advances in long-term operation

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Kevin James Mottershead ◽  
Christian Robertson ◽  
Sebastian Lindqvist ◽  
Francisco Javier Perosanz Lopez ◽  
Eija Karita Puska
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
European Research ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Safety Assurance ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Areas Of Interest

Mindful of the challenges to long-term operation, especially the severe safety and environmental consequences shown through historical nuclear power plant accidents (e.g. Fukoshima, Chernobyl, etc), it is imperative that European research and innovation focuses on demonstrating reliable long-term operation. Five examples of European Commission supported projects meeting such objectives are INCEFA+, SOTERIA, ATLAS+, MEACTOS and NUGENIA+. There are economies of scale within, and synergies across these projects which enable further advantage to be gained. Additionally, since researchers are well engaged internationally, this brings into European Organisations latest developments in understanding from further afield (e.g. USA, Japan), further enabling safety assurance advances, and enabling work overseas to be influenced consistent with European requirements. Through examples, this paper provides evidence of the advances claimed, whilst being careful to also declare areas of interest for which further work is still a priority.

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