Nuclear Power

The world of the twenty first century is an energy consuming society. Due to increasing population and living standards, each year the world requires more energy and new efficient systems for delivering it. Furthermore, the new systems must be inherently safe and environmentally benign. These realities of today's world are among the reasons that lead to serious interest in deploying nuclear power as a sustainable energy source. Today's nuclear reactors are safe and highly efficient energy systems that offer electricity and a multitude of co-generation energy products ranging from potable water to heat for industrial applications. The goal of the book is to show the current state-of-the-art in the covered technical areas as well as to demonstrate how general engineering principles and methods can be applied to nuclear power systems

Safety and Reliability - Safe Societies in a Changing World

The contributions cover a wide range of methodologies and application areas for safety and reliability that contribute to safe societies in a changing world. These methodologies and applications include: - foundations of risk and reliability assessment and management - mathematical methods in reliability and safety - risk assessment - risk management - system reliability - uncertainty analysis - digitalization and big data - prognostics and system health management - occupational safety - accident and incident modeling - maintenance modeling and applications - simulation for safety and reliability analysis - dynamic risk and barrier management - organizational factors and safety culture - human factors and human reliability - resilience engineering - structural reliability - natural hazards - security - economic analysis in risk managemen

Nuclear Power

The world of the twenty first century is an energy consuming society. Due to increasing population and living standards, each year the world requires more energy and new efficient systems for delivering it. Furthermore, the new systems must be inherently safe and environmentally benign. These realities of today's world are among the reasons that lead to serious interest in deploying nuclear power as a sustainable energy source. Today's nuclear reactors are safe and highly efficient energy systems that offer electricity and a multitude of co-generation energy products ranging from potable water to heat for industrial applications. The goal of the book is to show the current state-of-the-art in the covered technical areas as well as to demonstrate how general engineering principles and methods can be applied to nuclear power systems

A workshop on developing risk assessment methods for medical use of radioactive material. Volume 1: Summary

A workshop was held at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, August 16--18, 1994 on the topic of risk assessment on medical devices that use radioactive isotopes. Its purpose was to review past efforts to develop a risk assessment methodology to evaluate these devices, and to develop a program plan and a scoping document for future methodology development. This report contains a summary of that workshop. Participants included experts in the fields of radiation oncology, medical physics, risk assessment, human-error analysis, and human factors. Staff from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) associated with the regulation of medical uses of radioactive materials and with research into risk-assessment methods participated in the workshop. The workshop participants concurred in NRC`s intended use of risk assessment as an important technology in the development of regulations for the medical use of radioactive material and encouraged the NRC to proceed rapidly with a pilot study. Specific recommendations are included in the executive summary and the body of this report. An appendix contains the 8 papers presented at the conference: NRC proposed policy statement on the use of probabilistic risk assessment methods in nuclear regulatory activities; NRC proposed agency-wide implementation plan for probabilistic risk assessment; Risk evaluation of high dose rate remote afterloading brachytherapy at a large research/teaching institution; The pros and cons of using human reliability analysis techniques to analyze misadministration events; Review of medical misadministration event summaries and comparison of human error modeling; Preliminary examples of the development of error influences and effects diagrams to analyze medical misadministration events; Brachytherapy risk assessment program plan; and Principles of brachytherapy quality assurance

Enhancing Safety: the Challenge of Foresight

We live in a world where advancement in technology coupled with human’s creative and innovative mind has led to the design of safer and better performing infrastructures (nuclear power plants, chemical process plants, high speed trains, spaceplanes, etc.), which are necessary for modern society. However, due to the interconnected socio-economic and technological landscape that is rapidly evolving, safety continues to have many new challenges (known unknowns, unknown unknowns) that add onto changed variants of the old challenges (e.g. modified knowns). Additionally, governance and legislation can be slow to catch up with this dynamic pace of change. At times, overregulation can occur, resulting in a significant resource investment towards compliance for existing infrastructure operators or for aspiring start-ups that would like to enter the market, but end up struggling or even abandoning the sector. Inspired by this background, the European Safety and Reliability Data Association’s Foresight in Safety Project Group prepared the 53rd ESReDA seminar with a purpose to launch an open dialogue with stakeholders in the safety arena. Thus, by providing an open forum where experiences in foresight in safety approaches from different sectors could be shared, cross-fertilisation of ideas, such as how foresight could be mainstreamed into safety practice in a more consistent manner, could be discussed. The project group will build on this rich compendium of experiences in its future endeavours.JRC.E.7-Knowledge for Security and Migratio

Safety Culture Monitoring: A Management Approach for Assessing Nuclear Safety Culture Health Performance Utilizing Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis

Nuclear power plants are among the most technologically complex of all energy facilities. This complexity reflects the precision needed in design, maintenance and operations to harness the energy of the atom safely, reliably and economically. Nuclear energy thus requires consistent, high levels of organizational performance by the highly skilled professionals who operate and maintain nuclear power plants (Nuclear Energy Institute [NEI], 2014, p. 1). A key element for achieving consistent, high levels of performance in a nuclear organization is its safety culture. Nuclear safety culture is for an organization what character and personality is for an individual: a feature that is made visible primarily through behaviors and espoused values. Nuclear safety culture is undergoing constant change. It represents the collective behaviors of the organization, which change as the organization and its members change and apply themselves to their daily activities. As problems arise, the organization learns from them. Successes and failures become ingrained in the organization’s nuclear safety culture and form the basis on which the organization conducts business. These behaviors are taught to new members of the organization as the correct way to perceive, think, act and feel (NEI, 2014, p. 1). Nuclear Safety Culture (NSC) is defined as the core values and behaviors resulting from a collective commitment by leaders and individuals to emphasize safety over competing goals to ensure protection of people and the environment (Institute of Nuclear Power Operations [INPO], 2012a, p. iv). Thus, nuclear safety culture depends on every employee, from the board of directors, to the control room operator, to the field technician in the switchyard, to the security officers and to contractors on site. That is, nuclear safety culture is affected by everything we say and everything we do. Nuclear safety is a collective responsibility meaning no one in the organization is exempt from the obligation to ensure nuclear safety first (NEI, 2014, p. 1). Furthermore, NSC is a leadership responsibility. Leaders reinforce safety culture at every opportunity so that the health of safety culture is not taken for granted. Leaders frequently measure the health of safety culture with a focus on trends rather than absolute values. Leaders communicate what constitutes a healthy safety culture and ensure everyone understands his or her role in its promotion. Leaders recognize that safety culture is not all or nothing but is, rather, constantly moving along a continuum. As a result, there is a comfort in discussing safety culture within the organization as well as with outside groups, such as regulatory agencies (INPO, 2012a). That is, NSC like everything else rises and falls based on leadership (Maxwell, 1998). In order to facilitate a healthy NSC, which is the sine qua non of safe nuclear plant operation, the leadership team needs to understand its present health in order to address NSC issues. It has been said “To manage risk, one has first to comprehend it” (Gheorghe, 2005, p. xvii). Equally true, in order to manage the nuclear safety culture of an organization we must first comprehend it. The goal of this research is to provide an ongoing holistic, objective, transparent and safety-focused process to identify early indications of potential problems linked to culture. The process uses a cross-section of available data (e.g., the corrective action program, performance trends, NRC inspections, industry evaluations, nuclear safety culture assessments, self-assessments, audits, operating experience, workforce issues and employee concerns program and other process inputs). These data are then analyzed utilizing Multiple-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology that incorporates belief degrees of the management team leading to insights about its meaning which may lead directly to corrective actions

Draft Function Allocation Framework and Preliminary Technical Basis for Advanced SMR Concepts of Operations

This report presents preliminary research results from the investigation in to the development of new models and guidance for concepts of operations (ConOps) in advanced small modular reactor (aSMR) designs. In support of this objective, three important research areas were included: operating principles of multi-modular plants, functional allocation models and strategies that would affect the development of new, non-traditional concept of operations, and the requiremetns for human performance, based upon work domain analysis and current regulatory requirements. As part of the approach for this report, we outline potential functions, including the theoretical and operational foundations for the development of a new functional allocation model and the identification of specific regulatory requirements that will influence the development of future concept of operations. The report also highlights changes in research strategy prompted by confirmationof the importance of applying the work domain analysis methodology to a reference aSMR design. It is described how this methodology will enrich the findings from this phase of the project in the subsequent phases and help in identification of metrics and focused studies for the determination of human performance criteria that can be used to support the design process

6th International Probabilistic Workshop - 32. Darmstädter Massivbauseminar: 26-27 November 2008 ; Darmstadt, Germany 2008 ; Technische Universität Darmstadt

These are the proceedings of the 6th International Probabilistic Workshop, formerly known as Dresden Probabilistic Symposium or International Probabilistic Symposium. The workshop was held twice in Dresden, then it moved to Vienna, Berlin, Ghent and finally to Darmstadt in 2008. All of the conference cities feature some specialities. However, Darmstadt features a very special property: The element number 110 was named Darmstadtium after Darmstadt: There are only very few cities worldwide after which a chemical element is named. The high element number 110 of Darmstadtium indicates, that much research is still required and carried out. This is also true for the issue of probabilistic safety concepts in engineering. Although the history of probabilistic safety concepts can be traced back nearly 90 years, for the practical applications a long way to go still remains. This is not a disadvantage. Just as research chemists strive to discover new element properties, with the application of new probabilistic techniques we may advance the properties of structures substantially. (Auszug aus Vorwort

Resilience: A New Paradigm of Nuclear Safety: From Accident Mitigation to Resilient Society Facing Extreme Situations

nuclear safety; decision makin

Semi quantitative and fuzzy logic based approach for risk based inspection and maintenance of thermal power plant components

Abstract: This thesis deals with the development of a Risk Based Inspection Programme for the Eskom Fossil Fired Power Stations. This study comes as a result of external and internal factors that affect Eskom from producing electricity to ensure security of supply. Eskom current supplies 95% of South Africa’s electricity needs. AS part of Eskom’s drive to remain financially sustainable Eskom has move to cost reflective tariff model. This model considers all the input costs required to generate electricity and this cost is then passed on the consumer. As part of Eskom’s multi-year price determination Eskom requested a 16% increase for the next five years (2014-2019). This was turned down by the National Energy Regulator (NERSA) and instead Eskom was awarded an 8% tariff increase. For Eskom this means that current funds must be spent wisely. With more than 50% of Eskom’s current running fleet being past the mid-life of their design it means that more maintenance activities need to be carried out on these plants. With a decrease in the tariff Eskom now has to decide on which plants take preference over maintenance activities. The Pressure Equipment Regulations (PER) came into effect in October 2009 and compliance to these regulations are mandatory. The PER requires that Eskom pressure test all equipment regarded as pressure equipment according to the PER on a 3 yearly basis. Currently these pressure tests are carried out on a 6 yearly basis. Should Eskom move to the 3 yearly frequencies it would mean that Eskom would experience some difficulties in ensuring security of supply of electricity to South Africa. The PER however allows the users of pressure equipment to apply a Risk Based Inspection approached to the pressure equipment as opposed to the fixed term pressure testing. This RBI would give the user the latitude to make fitness for service decisions and determine the frequency of test and inspection 3 activities. Eskom has opted to implement a risk based approached to all pressure equipment on within the generating fleet. This thesis looks at the development of the Risk Based Inspection programme. The objective of the thesis is to determine whether the CWA15740 process can be applied within the Eskom environment to ensure compliance to the OHSACT. The thesis also investigates the use of fuzzy logic to determine risk plots for boiler valves. This thesis consists of 9 chapters. Chapter one looks at the current situation that Eskom is faced with both from a funding and statutory point of view. Chapter two is a literature survey that looks the development of RBI and is applications in other industries. Chapter 3 discusses the research approach adopted by the author and it defines the research question and the research objectives. This research follows the case study approach. Chapter fours describes the CWA15740 approach looking at the possible advantages and disadvantages of the approach. Chapter five describes the data gathering process for the data required for the RBI assessment. Chapter six looks at the development of the RBI model and delves into the multi-level risk assessment approach. Chapter seven discusses the outcomes of the RBI pilot that was carried out at Lethabo Power Station. Chapter eight discusses the development of the Fuzzy C Mean (FCM) algorithm to predict valve risk based on the clustering concept. Finally chapter nine discusses the learnings from the research as well as the conclusions that can be drawn and finally, future work based on the findings of the research. The findings of the research indicate that the CWA15740 process is an effective process for the power generation industry given its non-prescriptive approach. This was proven by the successful certification of Lethabo Power Station by an independent Certification Body. Further the FCM algorithm proved that it is possible to predict boiler valve risk using the clustering approach. 4 Finally the research found that by implementing a risk based strategy saving of a minimum of 84% could be achieved. The contributions of this work are twofold. Firstly the development of a Risk Based Inspection process for the fossil Fired power generation industry. To the best of the author’s knowledge the process using the CWA15740 process has not been rolled out at any fossil power generating utility. Typical maintenance processes followed by fossil fired power generating utilities do not include the risk component. This statement is supported by the benchmarking exercise as well as the literature survey. Secondly the use of the FCM algorithm shows that the FCM clustering process can be effectively used to predict component risk. Keywords: Probability of Failure; Likelihood of Failure; Component Damage Mechanism; Fuzzy C Mean; Pressure Equipment Regulation; Conformity Assessment; Multi Level Risk Assessment.D.Ing. (Engineering Management