ML24092A017
| ML24092A017 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/31/2024 |
| From: | Gascot-Lozada R NRC/RES/DE/RGDB |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24092A017 (1) | |
Text
Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) is a Department of Energy (DOE) program conducting research to develop technologies and other solutions to improve the economics and reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the operation of our nation's fleet of nuclear power plants (NPP). The NRC and the DOE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Nuclear Innovation that allow the entities to share expertise and knowledge on advanced nuclear reactor technologies and nuclear energy innovation which extend to the area of light water reactor long-term operation and proposed modification for light water reactor sustainability.
LWRS Status Highlights Main Goal: enable plant efficiency improvements through a strategy for long-term modernization Latest Report :
Technical Specification Surveillance Interval Extension Using Self-Diagnostic-This research focuses on developing methods for applying the U.S. NRC approved guidance to implement a licensee-controlled, risk-informed surveillance frequency change program in digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems that include self-diagnostics and online monitoring (OLM) capabilities. Although approved methods exist for extending technical specifications (TS) surveillance test intervals (STIs) for general equipment, including analog I&C equipment, gaps remain in technology and guidance on crediting newer digital equipments internal self-diagnostics and OLM characteristics.
March 2024 Plant Modernization Pathway Program Mission Approach 1: Self-Diagnostics not credited for risk
Risk Informed System Analysis (RISA) Pathway Page 2 Materials Research Pathway Main Goal: understand and predict long-term behavior of materials in nuclear power plants Latest Report:
Applying Grain-Boundary Sensitive Electrochemical Scanning Probe Techniques to Evaluate Intergranular Degradation of Irradiated and Deformed Stainless Steels-In nuclear power plants, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of the critical structural components can cause frequent shutdown of the nuclear reactor. IASCC is a complex problem where the synergetic effect of irradiation, mechanical load, and corrosion activity all comes into play, thereby making its mechanism difficult to understand.
Irradiation assisted elemental segregation (e.g.,
Cr-depletion at grain boundaries) can be the major reasons to induce IASCC, but the corrosion activity related to such compositional heterogeneities has not been fully understood.
This report addresses the effect of ion irradiation on the electrochemical corrosion over the localized features such as grain interiors, grain boundaries, and dislocation channels.
Main Goal: develop safety analysis methods and tools to optimize the safety, reliability, and economics of nuclear power plants Latest Report:
Novel Approaches and Technologies for Aging Management-This report is focused on risk-informed and performance-based approaches for aging management of buried piping, specifically managing selective leaching degradation phenomena. Selective leaching is a commonly occurring aging and degradation mechanism in buried pipes at nuclear power plants. To better understand the extent of selective leaching and its effect on the health of buried components, the licensees currently rely on visual inspections and destructive examinations which require extraction of multiple buried components, e.g., pipes. This research explores technological solutions that may replace or supplement existing inefficient, costly, and labor-intensive methods used in aging management.
Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy used for localized electrochemical characterization Shell mesh use to cut the un-displaced pipe mesh
Page 3 LWRS April Calendar Monthly Calls (links on the dates)
- FPOG Call-HYRAM+/RG 1.91 discussion - April 8, 2024-10:00-12:00 AM
- RISA Call Reliability analysis of ML-aided control systems - April 16, 2024-1:00-2:00 PM Past Issues Prepared by: Ramón L. Gascot (RES/DE/RGPMB)
Main Goal: enable diversification and increase revenue of light water reactors to produce non-electrical products Physical Security Pathway Main Goal: develop technologies and technical bases to optimize physical security Latest Report:
No report for this issue Flexible Plant Operation & Generation (FPOG) Pathway Latest Report:
Preliminary Analysis and Evaluation of Thermal Stress Induced by High-Capacity Thermal Energy Delivery-This report assesses the impacts of high levels of thermal power extraction (TPE) on a generic nuclear plant design to determine feasible extraction limits for nuclear plant steam.
Including a detailed performance evaluation of power system efficiencies (PEPSE) heat balance model for a generic nuclear power plant and evaluates the impacts of 30%, 50%, and 70%
thermal power extraction on the nuclear plant.
Separator reheaters, drain systems, feedwater heaters, and extraction steam are then assessed.
General arrangement for reference plant thermal power extraction LWRS Spring Review Meeting The LWRS Program is hosting a spring meeting.
It will be a two-day virtual meeting from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, April 30th, and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024.
Link for the meetings is here Agenda will be distributed near the meeting date.