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Title: Managing aging in nuclear power plants: Insights from NRC maintenance team inspection reports

Abstract

A plant`s maintenance program is the principal vehicle through which age-related degradation is managed. From 1988 to 1991, the NRC evaluated the maintenance program of every nuclear power plant in the United States. Forty-four out of a total of 67 of the reports issued on these in-depth team inspections were reviewed for insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the programs as related to the need to understand and manage the effects of aging on nuclear plant systems, structures, and components. Relevant information was extracted from these inspection reports and sorted into several categories, including Specific Aging Insights, Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Condition Monitoring, Post Maintenance Testing, Failure Trending, Root Cause Analysis and Usage of Probabilistic Risk Assessment in the Maintenance Process. Specific examples of inspection and monitoring techniques successfully used by utilities to detect degradation due to aging have been identified. The information also was sorted according to systems and components, including: Auxiliary Feedwater, Main Feedwater, High Pressure Injection for both BWRs and PWRs, Service Water, Instrument Air, and Emergency Diesel Generator Air Start Systems, and Emergency Diesel Generators Air Start Systems, emergency diesel generators, electrical components such as switchgear, breakers, relays, and motor control centers, motor operatedmore » valves and check valves. This information was compared to insights gained from the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program. Attributes of plant maintenance programs where the NRC inspectors felt that improvement was needed to properly address the aging issue also are discussed.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Engineering; Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
10121478
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-5812; BNL-NUREG-52309
ON: TI94006453
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-76CH00016
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Dec 1993
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; BWR TYPE REACTORS; AGING; MAINTENANCE; PWR TYPE REACTORS; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; US NRC; INSPECTION; FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS; RISK ASSESSMENT; REACTOR SAFETY; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SURVEILLANCE; 220900; 210100; 210200; POWER REACTORS, NONBREEDING, LIGHT-WATER MODERATED, BOILING WATER COOLED; POWER REACTORS, NONBREEDING, LIGHT-WATER MODERATED, NONBOILING WATER COOLED

Citation Formats

Fresco, A, Subudhi, M, Gunther, W, Grove, E, and Taylor, J. Managing aging in nuclear power plants: Insights from NRC maintenance team inspection reports. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.2172/10121478.
Fresco, A, Subudhi, M, Gunther, W, Grove, E, & Taylor, J. Managing aging in nuclear power plants: Insights from NRC maintenance team inspection reports. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10121478
Fresco, A, Subudhi, M, Gunther, W, Grove, E, and Taylor, J. 1993. "Managing aging in nuclear power plants: Insights from NRC maintenance team inspection reports". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10121478. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10121478.
@article{osti_10121478,
title = {Managing aging in nuclear power plants: Insights from NRC maintenance team inspection reports},
author = {Fresco, A and Subudhi, M and Gunther, W and Grove, E and Taylor, J},
abstractNote = {A plant`s maintenance program is the principal vehicle through which age-related degradation is managed. From 1988 to 1991, the NRC evaluated the maintenance program of every nuclear power plant in the United States. Forty-four out of a total of 67 of the reports issued on these in-depth team inspections were reviewed for insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the programs as related to the need to understand and manage the effects of aging on nuclear plant systems, structures, and components. Relevant information was extracted from these inspection reports and sorted into several categories, including Specific Aging Insights, Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Condition Monitoring, Post Maintenance Testing, Failure Trending, Root Cause Analysis and Usage of Probabilistic Risk Assessment in the Maintenance Process. Specific examples of inspection and monitoring techniques successfully used by utilities to detect degradation due to aging have been identified. The information also was sorted according to systems and components, including: Auxiliary Feedwater, Main Feedwater, High Pressure Injection for both BWRs and PWRs, Service Water, Instrument Air, and Emergency Diesel Generator Air Start Systems, and Emergency Diesel Generators Air Start Systems, emergency diesel generators, electrical components such as switchgear, breakers, relays, and motor control centers, motor operated valves and check valves. This information was compared to insights gained from the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program. Attributes of plant maintenance programs where the NRC inspectors felt that improvement was needed to properly address the aging issue also are discussed.},
doi = {10.2172/10121478},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10121478}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}