Risk Informed In Service Inspection Of Piping Systems Of Nuclear Power Plants

The safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs), one of the most important conditions for their acceptance, is achieved by numerous methods and techniques during their design, manufacture and maintenance. Risk-informed inspection is one strategy for improving the effectiveness of in-service inspection (ISI) and is based on combination of independent assessments of the probability of failure of components and the consequences of these failures. This publication describes the general process of developing and implementing risk-informed in-service inspections (RI-ISI) methodologies, the technological issues which lie behind the methodologies, application and status, and the current development activities. The information provided is primarily intended for managers, ISI supervisors, lead engineers of NPPs and technical support organizations, but will also be useful for regulatory staff reviewing RI-ISI programmes

Integrated risk management (IRM) is particularly important during the preparation and construction phases of a nuclear power plant (NPP) and anticipates the risks that could arise during the operation and decommissioning phases. This publication is designed to enhance stakeholders' understanding of the fundamental processes, procedures, and methods for IRM. Practical guidelines are provided and best practices shared. The importance of having appropriate risk management policies, especially when considering the various contractual and organizational arrangements in different construction entities, operating organizations and Member States is emphasized. Tables are provided throughout the publication to indicate the causes of risks and their impacts on the applicable NPP or project. Economic evaluation techniques are also introduced. Member States contemplating expanding their existing nuclear power plant fleets can be expected to benefit from this publication, but it will likely be most valuable for Member States newly embarking upon a nuclear power programme.

The book comprehensively covers the various aspects of risk modeling and analysis in technological contexts. It pursues a systems approach to modeling risk and reliability concerns in engineering, and covers the key concepts of risk analysis and mathematical tools used to assess and account for risk in engineering problems. The relevance of incorporating risk-based structures in design and operations is also stressed, with special emphasis on the human factor and behavioral risks. The book uses the nuclear plant, an extremely complex and high-precision engineering environment, as an example to develop the concepts discussed. The core mechanical, electronic and physical aspects of such a complex system offer an excellent platform for analyzing and creating risk-based models. The book also provides real-time case studies in a separate section to demonstrate the use of this approach. There are many limitations when it comes to applications of risk-based approaches to engineering problems. The book is structured and written in a way that addresses these key gap areas to help optimize the overall methodology. This book serves as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on risk and reliability in engineering. It can also be used outside the classroom for professional development courses aimed at practicing engineers or as an introduction to risk-based engineering for professionals, researchers, and students interested in the field.

PHM Society established International Journal of Prognostics and Health Management (IJPHM) in 2009 to facilitate archival publication of peer-reviewed results from research and development in the area of PHM. As a journal solely dedicated to the emerging field of PHM IJPHM is the first of its kind and has been a focal point for dissemination of peer-reviewed PHM knowledge. While for the first few years the journal maintained only an online presence, the printed volumes will now be available and can be obtained upon request.

The book has been developed in conjunction with NERS 462, a course offered every year to seniors and graduate students in the University of Michigan NERS program. The first half of the book covers the principles of risk analysis, the techniques used to develop and update a reliability data base, the reliability of multi-component systems, Markov methods used to analyze the unavailability of systems with repairs, fault trees and event trees used in probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs), and failure modes of systems. All of this material is general enough that it could be used in non-nuclear applications, although there is an emphasis placed on the analysis of nuclear systems. The second half of the book covers the safety analysis of nuclear energy systems, an analysis of major accidents and incidents that occurred in commercial nuclear plants, applications of PRA techniques to the safety analysis of nuclear power plants (focusing on a major PRA study for five nuclear power plants), practical PRA examples, and emerging techniques in the structure of dynamic event trees and fault trees that can provide a more realistic representation of complex sequences of events. The book concludes with a discussion on passive safety features of advanced nuclear energy systems under development and approaches taken for risk-informed regulations for nuclear plants.

Probabilistic safety assessment methods are used to calculate nuclear power plant durability and resource lifetime. Successful calculation of the reliability and ageing of components is critical for forecasting safety and directing preventative maintenance, and Probabilistic safety assessment for optimum nuclear power plant life management provides a comprehensive review of the theory and application of these methods. Part one reviews probabilistic methods for predicting the reliability of equipment. Following an introduction to key terminology, concepts and definitions, formal-statistical and various physico–statistical approaches are discussed. Approaches based on the use of defect-free models are considered, along with those using binomial distribution and models based on the residual defectiveness of structural materials. The practical applications of probabilistic methods for strength reliability are subsequently explored in part two. Probabilistic methods for increasing the reliability and safety of nuclear power plant components are investigated, as are the use of such methods for optimising non-destructive tests, hydraulic tests, technical certification and planned-preventative maintenance. Finally, the book concludes with information on the use of probabilistic methods in ensuring leak tightness of nuclear power plant steam generator heat exchanger pipes. With its distinguished authors, Probabilistic safety assessment for optimum nuclear power plant life management is a valuable reference for all nuclear plant designers, operators, nuclear safety engineers and managers, as well as academics and researchers in this field. Discusses the theory and application of probabilistic safety assessment methods used to calculate nuclear power plant (NPP) durability and lifetime Reviews probabilistic methods in their application to NPP components and ageing pipelines for the forecasting of NPP resource lifetime and safety Addresses the key areas of probabilistic safety analysis, optimization of the operations through in-service inspection (ISI) utilising non-destructive testing, and maintenance, service and repair approaches

Within the last fifty years the performance requirements for technical objects and systems were supplemented with: customer expectations (quality), abilities to prevent the loss of the object properties in operation time (reliability and maintainability), protection against the effects of undesirable events (safety and security) and the ability to