Nuclear Plant Life Assurance (NPLA) Program for Ontario Hydro's NGS

Abstract

Due to the effects of aging, nuclear plant equipment performance and reliability may decline during the middle and later years of a plant's life. It is generally agreed that aging of plant components cannot be stopped but can be slowed by initiating a proactive and a systematic program to effectively manage the impact of aging on the life of a nuclear plant. A formal Nuclear Plant Life Assurance (NPLA) program is proposed for OH's nuclear plants with the objectives of plant life assurance and of preserving the option of plant life extension. An NPLA methodology for an assessment of age-related degradation and for an engineering evaluation of plant components has been developed and is presented in this paper. A list of critical plant components whose failure would have the biggest impact on cost, reliability, safety, and life of the plant has been prepared. An initial review indicates that a majority of critical components can support a reliable life of 40 years and beyond, provided a proactive and systematic approach to early detection of age-related degradation, data gathering, preventive maintenance, and research and development is adopted. The paper outlines a three phased program for Ontario Hydro in this area.