A Pilot Program for the Development of an Alternative Approach to Seismic Equipment Qualification
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Abstract
Until recently, little attempt had been made to evaluate the susceptibility of power plant equipment to failure during seismic events by making use of data on the performance of equipment in conventional power plants during past earthquakes. A need for rigorous seismic qualification was assumed Seismic qualification of nuclear power plant equipment currently depend on mathematical analysis and on testing. Since 1940, more than 30 major earthquakes in various
parts of the world have affected power plants and industrial facilities containing equipment that is similar to that found in nuclear power plants. For example, at least four power plants (with a total of 20 units) were located in the strongly shaken area of the San Fernando (Los Angeles), California, earthquake of 1971, which had a Richter magnitude of 6.5. The peak ground accelerations (PGA)* that were recorded at various nearby locations were typically higher than
the PGAs of safe shutdown earthquakes (SSE) that are used in the design of most nuclear power plants east of the Rocky Mountains. Because no significant damage occurred, the California plants were not investigated after the earthquakes except by their operators; thus, the literature is relatively silent about effects on these facilities. Fortunately, the plants and their equipment are still in operating; acceleration records from nearby locations exist; the plant logs and reports are still available: and many of the personnel who were on duty at the time of the earthquake are still working in the plants. Data on the performance of equipment is therefore obtainable. This report represents the first major co-ordinated effort to collect detailed data on the performance of power plant equipment during earthquakes. It is a summary of the two volume Pilot Program Report: Program for the Development of an Alternative Approach to Seismic Equipment Qualification (Yanev and Swan, 1982).
parts of the world have affected power plants and industrial facilities containing equipment that is similar to that found in nuclear power plants. For example, at least four power plants (with a total of 20 units) were located in the strongly shaken area of the San Fernando (Los Angeles), California, earthquake of 1971, which had a Richter magnitude of 6.5. The peak ground accelerations (PGA)* that were recorded at various nearby locations were typically higher than
the PGAs of safe shutdown earthquakes (SSE) that are used in the design of most nuclear power plants east of the Rocky Mountains. Because no significant damage occurred, the California plants were not investigated after the earthquakes except by their operators; thus, the literature is relatively silent about effects on these facilities. Fortunately, the plants and their equipment are still in operating; acceleration records from nearby locations exist; the plant logs and reports are still available: and many of the personnel who were on duty at the time of the earthquake are still working in the plants. Data on the performance of equipment is therefore obtainable. This report represents the first major co-ordinated effort to collect detailed data on the performance of power plant equipment during earthquakes. It is a summary of the two volume Pilot Program Report: Program for the Development of an Alternative Approach to Seismic Equipment Qualification (Yanev and Swan, 1982).
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