Wireless Sensors for Equipment Health and Condition Monitoring in Nuclear Power Plants

Power generation utilities are striving to use wireless technologies in nuclear power plants, but a number of important challenges must be overcome. These challenges include infrastructure issues, security risks, reliability questions, and interference problems. This project will develop a prototype system to acquire data from wireless sensors for equipment and process diagnostics in nuclear power plants. In Phase I, the feasibility of using wireless sensors for equipment condition monitoring in nuclear power plants was demonstrated. Phase II will (1) design and develop a prototype system for acquisition, qualification, storage, and display of data from wireless sensors; (2) test the system using data from wireless sensors installed in a laboratory test loop; (3) assess technology security risks and develop recommendations and procedures for risk reduction; (4) investigate electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, including the effects of wireless transmissions on existing plant equipment; and (5) implement the prototype system for selected applications in a host utility plant. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to the application for nuclear power plants, the technology should benefit almost any other industrial process for plant health assessment, residual life estimation, plant aging and obsolescence management, manpower savings, reduction of radiation dose to maintenance personnel, and asset management.