scholarly journals The Activities for Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-84
Author(s):  
Yasuhiko Minami
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Term Operation

Guided Waves as an Online Monitoring Technology for Long-Term Operation in Nuclear Power Plants: Experimental Results on a Steam Discharge Pipe

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Cappelli ◽  
Francesco Cordella ◽  
Francesco Bertoncini ◽  
Marco Raugi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Term Operation

Guided wave (GW) testing is regularly used for finding defect locations through long-range screening using low-frequency waves (from 5 to 250 kHz). By using magnetostrictive sensors, some issues, which usually limit the application to nuclear power plants (NPPs), can be fixed. The authors have already shown the basic theoretical background and simulation results concerning a real steel pipe, used for steam discharge, with a complex structure. On the basis of such theoretical framework, a new campaign has been designed and developed on the same pipe, and the obtained experimental results are now here presented as a useful benchmark for the application of GWs as nondestructive techniques. Experimental measures using a symmetrical probe and a local probe in different configurations (pulse-echo and pitch-catch) indicate that GW testing with magnetostrictive sensors can be reliably applied to long-term monitoring of NPPs components.

Research Activities in the European Union on Ageing Management for Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Martin ◽  
Antonio Ballesteros ◽  
Christiane Bruynooghe ◽  
Michel Bie`th
Keyword(s):  
Energy Supply ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Ageing Management ◽  
The Eu

The energy supply of the future in the EU will be a mix of renewable, fossil and nuclear. There are 145 nuclear power reactors in operation in 15 out of the 27 EU countries, with installed power ∼132 GWe. The age distribution of current nuclear power plants in EU is such that in 2010 most of them will have passed 20-years and approximately 25% of them 30 years of age. The decrease of energy supply from nuclear generated electricity can not always be compensated in a reliable and economical way within a short time span. For this situation utilities may be keen to upgrade the reactor output and /or to ask their regulatory bodies for longer term operation. Under the research financed in the Euratom part of the Research Directorate (RTD) of the European Commission several projects explicitly address the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants (NULIFE, LONGLIFE) and the topics proposed in the 2010 call explicitly address issues concerning component ageing, in particular non metallic components, i.e. instrumentation and cables (I&C) and concrete ageing. This paper presents an overview of the plans for long term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants in the EU. Special emphasis is given on research activities on component ageing management and long term operation issues related to safety.

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.

The role of pressure vessel embrittlement in the long term operation of nuclear power plants

2012 ◽  
Vol 243 ◽  
pp. 63-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ballesteros ◽  
R. Ahlstrand ◽  
C. Bruynooghe ◽  
U. von Estorff ◽  
L. Debarberis
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Term Operation
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