Reactor coolant pump surveillance using sequential probability ratio tests
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- Univ. of Maryland, College Park (USA)
- Indiana Univ., Bloomington (USA)
In March 1987, a pump-degradation event was experienced in one of the two primary coolant pumps at the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II). The event was caused by mechanical binding of the rotating shaft, which reduced the flow rate of coolant through the core and caused an automatic scram of the reactor. Mechanical torquing of the pump shaft was sufficient to clear the sodium-oxide debris that caused the binding, and the reactor was returned to operation. Although no major equipment damage was experienced, an investigation was launched to develop new techniques for monitoring pump performance. Research has culminated in the development and computer implementation of an extremely sensitive pump operability surveillance technique that is based on the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). The SPRT technique processes the stochastic components of digitized signals from identical sensors monitoring the same physical process on each of two pumps (e.g., speed signals, vibration levels, power, motor current, discharge pressure) and identifies subtle changes in the statistical quality of the noise associated with either signal. If any disturbance causes the noise characteristics for either signal to change, (e.g., a larger variance, skewness, or signal bias) then SPRT provides a sensitive and rapid annunciation of that disturbance while minimizing the probabilities of both false alarms and missed alarms.
- OSTI ID:
- 6434099
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-891103--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Vol. 60; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
210500 -- Power Reactors
Breeding
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ALARM SYSTEMS
BREEDER REACTORS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DECISION MAKING
EBR-2 REACTOR
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAILURES
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
IMPLEMENTATION
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MACHINE PARTS
OPERATION
POWER REACTORS
PRIMARY COOLANT CIRCUITS
PUMPS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR MONITORING SYSTEMS
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SAMPLING
SCRAM
SENSITIVITY
SHAFTS
SHUTDOWN
SIGNAL CONDITIONING
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
SURVEILLANCE