Loose Parts and Valve Flow Monitoring in Nuclear Power Plants Using Integrated Digital Systems
In Nuclear Power plants, a loose part, whether it is from a deteriorated component or from an item inadvertently left in the primary system during construction, refueling, or maintenance, can contribute to component damage and material wear by frequent impacting with other parts in the system. Loose parts may, also, pose other serious threats, such as partial flow blockage and trigger major problems in the nuclear system operation. Loose Parts Monitoring Systems (LPMS) have been developed in order to monitor for, detect and evaluate metallic loose parts in the primary coolant system of Nuclear power plants. Presentday digital LPMS architecture and software flexibility have allowed the integration of additional functions into the same, PC-based, system, such as the capability of parallel monitoring of various critical valves in the plant for flow / leak detection. Integration offers significant advantages as compared to using two separate systems, such as economy, installation efficiency, operator friendliness, etc. Simultaneous monitoring of the two phenomena (loose parts impacts and flow) also enhances signal interpretation capabilities and results in better evaluation and more solid management decisions.The present paper discusses the application and operational aspects of an integrated Loose Parts and Valve Flow Monitoring System (LPMS-VFMS) for Nuclear power plants, and demonstrates how modern digital Acoustic Emission systems and processing strategies can improve LPMS-VFMS operation and uniquely detect and evaluate, metallic loose parts and critical valve flow, in the presence of severe environmental noise and vibration. Emphasis is given to one of the most critical aspects of a nuclear Loose Parts and Valve Flow Monitoring system, i.e. minimizing false alarms, a major problem existing in older analogue system designs. Loose part and valve flow alarm definition strategies are part of the integrated data acquisition and analysis software and are presented herein, together with unique signal processing functions aiming in eliminating false calls.
Loose Parts Valve Flow Leak Detection Acoustic Emission Nuclear
Sotirios. J. VAHAVIOLOS Spillos. E. KATTIS Mark F. CARLOS Dimitrios A.KOUROUSIS Athanasios A. ANASTASOPOULOS Jason W. DONG
Physical Acoustics Corporation, Princeton, NJ, USA, Envirocoustics A.B.E.E., Athens, GREECE,
国际会议
第十七届世界无损检测会议(17th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing)
上海
英文
1671-1681
2008-10-25（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）