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Sequential probability ratio test for nuclear plant component surveillance

Journal Article · · Nuclear Technology; (United States)
OSTI ID:5078008
;  [1]
  1. Argonne National Lab., Argonne, IL (US)

It is common practice in nuclear power plants to install redundant sensors to monitor critical physical variables such as pressures, temperatures, and radiation levels. This paper reports on the design and testing of an extremely sensitive component-operability surveillance algorithm based on the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). The SPRT technique processes the stochastic components of digitized signals from identical sensors on two or more components in an operating reactor for the detection and annunciation of off-normal operation. Information from the SPRT can provide a reactor operator with early identification of conditions that could lead to plant operational degradation, thus enabling him or her to terminate or avoid events that might challenge safety or radiological performance quidelines. The SPRT enhances plant availability and economics by minimizing unnecessary reactor trips caused in conventional systems by occasional spurious data that might exceed a simple high/low limit check. An example application of the SPRT for the surveillance of primary coolant pump operability in the Experimental breeder Reactor II is presented.

OSTI ID:
5078008
Journal Information:
Nuclear Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Nuclear Technology; (United States) Vol. 93:2; ISSN NUTYB; ISSN 0029-5450
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English