The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance

Refinements in the safety and performance of nuclear power plants must be made to maintain public confidence and ensure competitiveness with other power sources. The aircraft industry, US Navy, and other programs have proven many advanced service maintenance methods that may improve commercial nucle...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Achorn, Ted Glen
Format: Working Paper
Published: MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research 2009
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50161
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author Achorn, Ted Glen
author_facet Achorn, Ted Glen
author_sort Achorn, Ted Glen
collection MIT
description Refinements in the safety and performance of nuclear power plants must be made to maintain public confidence and ensure competitiveness with other power sources. The aircraft industry, US Navy, and other programs have proven many advanced service maintenance methods that may improve commercial nuclear plants. This thesis is concerned with how new technologies in sensing and monitoring can be used to reduce the potential for hardware failures. The specific components with the greatest impacts upon safety and performance were determined using historical data from the experience of the nuclear industry. Failure modes associated with selected components are used to indicate the most important monitoring needs and these requirements help focus a technology survey for potential improvements. The thesis concludes with a discussion of possible applications which may enhance monitoring needs. Proposals for focusing future research to further develop appropriate technologies are presented. Nuclear facility managers are provided a means to self-analyze the status of onsite efforts to improve vital safety and performance related equipment in this thesis. Many of the monitoring needs and potential improvements indicated have general application to most plants. The process discussed in this report can be used to further tailor technology to plant specific needs.
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spelling mit-1721.1/501612019-04-12T23:31:00Z The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance Achorn, Ted Glen Refinements in the safety and performance of nuclear power plants must be made to maintain public confidence and ensure competitiveness with other power sources. The aircraft industry, US Navy, and other programs have proven many advanced service maintenance methods that may improve commercial nuclear plants. This thesis is concerned with how new technologies in sensing and monitoring can be used to reduce the potential for hardware failures. The specific components with the greatest impacts upon safety and performance were determined using historical data from the experience of the nuclear industry. Failure modes associated with selected components are used to indicate the most important monitoring needs and these requirements help focus a technology survey for potential improvements. The thesis concludes with a discussion of possible applications which may enhance monitoring needs. Proposals for focusing future research to further develop appropriate technologies are presented. Nuclear facility managers are provided a means to self-analyze the status of onsite efforts to improve vital safety and performance related equipment in this thesis. Many of the monitoring needs and potential improvements indicated have general application to most plants. The process discussed in this report can be used to further tailor technology to plant specific needs. 2009-12-15T23:55:23Z 2009-12-15T23:55:23Z 1991 Working Paper 91-005 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50161 28596153 Working paper (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Energy Policy Research) ; MIT-CEPR 91-005. 130 p application/pdf MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research
spellingShingle Achorn, Ted Glen
The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
title The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
title_full The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
title_fullStr The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
title_full_unstemmed The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
title_short The potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
title_sort potential role of new technology for enhanced safety and performance of nuclear power plants through improved service maintenance
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/50161
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