On-Line Monitoring Technology for Aging Management and Life Extension of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory

Over the last decade, on-line monitoring (OLM) technologies have become prevalent in most industrial processes including nuclear power plants for equipment and process condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, aging management, and life extension. However, research reactors have not benefited from all that OLM can offer for their immediate and long term maintenance needs. Classically, these facilites have verified the performance of their systems using conventional, hands-on procedures. OLM technologies will help automate and optimize this process and thereby contribute to the accuracy of process measurements, provide for trending of the I&C performance, reduce manpower, and minimize the potential for human errors during equipment maintenance activities. This proposal focuses specifically on performance monitoring of Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems and to a lesser extent improved predictive maintenance of rotating equipment using remote data acquisition of existing process and test sensors while the plant is operating hence the word on-line). In Phase I, the feasibility of implementing a variety of OLM technologies for I&C systems and rotating equipment in research reactors was established through a hands-on R&D effort using the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as the test bed. The goal of this project is to establish OLM technologies for predictive maintenance of I&C systems and rotating equipment of research reactors using ATR as the test bed. This goal will be achieved through a practical and hands-on research project which will cover the following objectives: 1. Determine to what extent the existing data from the ATR plant computer can be used for OLM 2. Establish data qualification and data analysis algorithms and software packages 3. Validate OLM results through comparison with conventional techniques 4. Incorporate OLM for more frequent monitoring of rotating equipment of ATR 5. Establish a trending program for I&C systems of ATR 6. Develop a prototype OLM system for research reactors and demonstrate it at ATR 7. Design commercial OLM prototype system to be marketed to research reactors Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The product of this work has immediate application in the worldwide fleet of research reactors. Worldwide, there are 245 operational reactors with 14 either planned or under construction. Many of these reactors produce critical medical and industrial isotopes. Additionally, some of the materials and fuels research that is performed at these facilities cannot be performed anywhere else in the world. A majority of these reactors have been in service for 30+ years and are in need of improved maintenance capabilities such as those proposed for development herein to help assure their continued reliable operation and service to the nation. Example direct benefits to the facilities include reduced labor hours, reduction of radiation dose to maintenance personnel, improved accuracy of process measurements, etc. Certain aspects of this research will also enhance the state-of-the-art in OLM for nuclear power plants serving those facilities as well.