Prognostic Methods for Predicting Remaining Useful Life of Nuclear Plant Equipment and Components

Like any large-scale industrial environment, the safe and efficient operation of a nuclear reactor is a function of the health of the equipment and components that make up the plant. Although nuclear power plants have provided a reliable source of power for the U.S. over the last four decades, unexpected equipment failures have resulted in losses of power production and millions of dollars of revenue, which may have been avoided if the warning signs of impending failures had been recognized. Likewise, utilities have spent millions of dollars and lost countless days of power production replacing equipment and components that showed no signs of degradation, yet had reached the end of the manufacturer