Nuclear Plant Life Assurance Scoping Study Nuclear and Conventional Piping

Abstract

The Ontario Hydro Nuclear Plant Life Assurance program offers a new dimension to plant maintenance. Conventional means of maintaining equipment reliability are preventive maintenance and inspection. These have been of limited effectiveness in managing aging degradation, which may proceed slowly and relentlessly without being apparent until its effects reach the point where there's a crisis to deal with. Being blindsided by unanticipated failure of major components is one of several 'destiny issues1 identified by Ontario Hydro, and NPLA is intended to prevent it. NPLA is a key part of Ontario Hydro's plan to realize its strategic goal of achieving at least 40 years life with its nuclear generating stations. Fifteen 'critical' components were identified in the initial phase of the NPLA program. Aging degradation issues for critical components in each plant are being identified and investigated in NPLA Scoping studies, to be completed in 1992. Implementation by the stations will follow. This paper discusses some issues identified in scoping studies done for nuclear and conventional piping systems.