Key Issues
Managing Material Condition and Equipment Reliability at U.S. Nuclear Power Plants
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January 2007
Key Facts
January 2007
Key Facts
- Every company that operates a nuclear power plant has an integrated plan for managing the condition of plant systems, structures and components. This life-cycle management plan centers on a wide range of activities that include monitoring the integrity of primary system materials (passive components) and maintaining the condition of plant equipment (active components).
- The industry’s commitment to safe and reliable operation is directly related to the material condition of the nuclear power plants. Historically, the industry addressed materials reliability issues through several major programs. In general, these programs were successful in addressing issues, but new problems continued to arise. Early this decade, the V.C. Summer, Oconee and Davis-Besse plants found deterioration of metal components and welds in areas where they had not seen these effects before. The discovery of corrosion at these plants prompted the nuclear energy industry to examine its programs for management of materials issues.
- The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) established an executive task force in 2002 to assess current industry programs and make recommendations. The task force found that industry materials programs were reactive, addressing materials issues once they became problems, rather than preventing those problems. In 2003, NEI implemented a proactive, integrated industry program to manage materials reliability.
- With more than 40 years of experience, companies have learned how equipment wears, and they can refurbish or replace the vast majority of equipment before it fails. When the operation of an important component degrades or fails, companies make detailed root-cause analyses and take corrective actions. The operating experience and lessons learned are shared with other nuclear energy companies.
