Innovation and Nuclear : opportunities and difficulties. Jean-Pierre HUTIN (EDF)

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1 Innovation and Nuclear : opportunities and difficulties Jean-Pierre HUTIN (EDF)

2 Three areas for innovation : Component design and construction : innovation versus experience High Performance Calculation : a revolution but for what? Information & Communication Technology : a miracle but for who?

3 Innovation? Why and how to change? Improve safety Improve performance Improve sustainability Yes but how? Innovation to improve the equiment itself? Innovation to facilitate equipment operation? Facilitate integration of new generation of workers Technologies they have been raised with Comply with new requirements Good innovation is the one which allows progress on all indicators Then requirements should also facilitate implementation of necessary innovation Sometimes some contradictions ("you have to monitor more carefully but you cannot use wireless sensors ")

4 Obstacles to innovation Cost / benefit balance : Net Present Value, Time for Return Investments costs : direct (the innovation itself) indirect (infrastructures to be adapted, training, tests, ) Resistance to change Balance "improvement on paper vs experience from the field" Reliability demonstration if safety is concerned To be done To be done with new requirements and criteria To be done with new methodology to be developed! Any change is an opportunity for many people to impose other changes new regulatory requirements "because now, with the new technology, it is possible" Vendors have their own interest Obsolescence problems are getting worst

5 Innovation in new components - design - materials - fabrication - technology

Innovation but without precipitation (1/2) How a new equipment can be better without a good understanding of what was going wrong with the previous one?

6 Innovation but without precipitation (1/2) How a new equipment can be better without a good understanding of what was going wrong with the previous one? The guide tube pin example Alloy stresses from fabrication and operation Stress corrosion cracking was detected (thanks to loose part detection in SG) Pins were replaced by "improved" pins After 4 years cracking again A "fabrication detail" supposed to have no impact on the SCC mechanism We often displace problem instead of actually solving it! The example of stratification in the feedwater line Thermal fatigue due to the lack of mixing between hot and cold water (and to stress concentration because of weld geometry) A "mixing device" is installed in the pipe A few years later, thermal fatigue occurs again a few inches upstream of the mixing device

7 Innovation but without precipitation (2/2) New design rules : how to make sure it is better than before? The example of the pressurizer instrumentation nozzles Made of stainless steel on the first series : no problem after several years New design rules adopted by industry and approved by Safety Authority to have a better estimate of the fatigue risk in some specific configurations when applied to the stainless steel nozzle, criteria is not met So on the second series, stainless steel was replaced by alloy 600 (less fatigue risk thanks to better dilatation coefficient) Stress corrosion cracking developed after one year of operation!!! All nozzles had to be replaced on site

nuclear more sustainable Obstacles / difficulties Impact on operating procedure : staff resistance to change Decision making : balance between IP

8 Innovation in fuel Innovative Fuel : a source of many potential improvements For what? Higher burn-up Greater safety margins Longer cycle Improved in-core reliability Easier handling Easier final disposal Less risk of proliferation Make nuclear more sustainable Obstacles / difficulties Impact on operating procedure : staff resistance to change Decision making : balance between IP (improvement on the paper) and EF (experience from the field) Huge programs necessary to make sure benefits are real (R&D, test reactors, ) : more than 10 years for implementing innovative fuels! Difficult to "test and try" in real reactor!

9 What to do before implementing a "new solution"? There is no miracle (or everybody would know about it)! When performances are increased, nature makes you pay for it, one way or an other Beware of "paper demonstration" Numerical simulation appropriate only when physical phenomenons are well understood Tests on loop, mock-ups Beware of secondary effects Example of condensors : brass was changed to titanium : less degradation but no more biocide effect! When feasible, perform a test on a real unit before generalization Example : several types of sleeves where installed on a steam generator for testing purpose before choosing the one type to be used for SG tube repair Cost / benefit analysis to make the decision and to optimize scheduling VAN (M ) Evolution de la VAN moyenne au cours de l'exploitation de la tranche (M ) Coûts liés à la VD3 du scénario A Scénario A avec VD3 puis VD4 Scénario B avec VD3 et VD4 Coûts liés à la VD4 du scénario A VAN moyenne équilibrée entre scénarios A et B Aujourd'hui Coûts répartis de la VD3 et la VD4 du scénario B Temps (années) Date VD3 Date VD ans Date VD ans

10 High Performance Calculation

11 Evolution of Supercomputers Calculation capacity X 1000 every 10 years A calculation which required 2 monthes in 2000, now requires 4 hours in 2010 and will require 15 seconds in 2020!

12 European project PERFECT (EDF leader) Less conservative prediction of irradiation embrittlement of core vessel steel Strong reduction of required (and very costly) tests

13 Risk of IASCC of internals bafle bolts Code_Aster free on the Web! Complete and detailed modeling of the internals (23 M elements) with coupled simulation in materials, neutronic, thermohydraulic, mechanics (11 days CPU) precise evaluation of the stress field in each bolt = realistic estimate of the risk of cracking = optimization of core internals life management

Simulation of radiography with the Moderato code Software simulating radiography State of the art for simulation of radiation / material interaction Validation for each

(cost, delay, accuracy) Important cooperation with the BAM - Berlin Using high performance computing resources (cluster of PCs in the LINUX environment), the simulation

14 Simulation of radiography with the Moderato code Software simulating radiography State of the art for simulation of radiation / material interaction Validation for each physical laws and through global tests Used for performance demonstration and regulatory qualification Important benefits compared to the traditionnal mock-up approach (cost, delay, accuracy) Important cooperation with the BAM - Berlin Using high performance computing resources (cluster of PCs in the LINUX environment), the simulation of non-destructive testing has reached unprecedented performance (four days to simulate an x-ray inspection of welds of the pressurizer spray nozzles instead of several weeks)

15 Climate change calculation (using TELEMAC) Prediction of temperature and flows in rivers at NPP locations in 2100 (water availability?) Temperature to be taken in account for new build design Evaluating the increase in risk of extreme weather conditions (heat waves, floods, )

16 HPC may lead to new methodologies High performance calculation allows to apply current methodologies faster But HPC also makes feasible methodologies which appeared not feasible some years ago Running faster means possibility of doing a larger number of calculation in a given time : Sensitivity analysis Uncertainty analysis HPC paves the way for larger use of probabilistic approach (Monte Carlo) A new way of thinking engineering issues Will the regulatory requirements follow the progress?

17 Information and Communication Technology

Seven breakthrough for improvement in NPP operation Systems can exchange information (one way or both-ways) without a system impairing the other one Massive amount of data can be processed in real

18 Seven breakthrough for improvement in NPP operation Systems can exchange information (one way or both-ways) without a system impairing the other one Massive amount of data can be processed in real time with "normal" computers Pictures and 3-D drawings can be made easily available when needed Any components may be automatically detected, identified, localized Sensors don't need wires anymore Wherever he is, any worker can exchange information with the "ouside world" All kind of data can travel in the same "pipe"

19 Virtual reality for maintenance preparation Optimize scenarios for large equipment handling and storage before outage, adapt schedule in real time reduced outage duration and security improved? Coupling CAD data with as-build 3-D imaging (from laser mapping system) to simulate and prepare large overhaul

20 Radiation Protection Supervision Center Monitor critical activities and reduce radiation exposure in outage

monitor equipments to anticipate failure and minimize consequences of degradation a software that processes the data

21 Remote smart supervision From monitoring a padlock position Wireless padlock for administrative lockout The padlock automatically and remotely gives its position to a supervision system to monitoring a fleet After a "learning" period, monitor equipments to anticipate failure and minimize consequences of degradation a software that processes the data from an equipement and gives an alert if the overall behavior drifts away from the "normal" behavior from the learning phase

Identification of fuel assemblies during refueling Provide the refueling operator with help to analyse video informations Read identification numbers on fuel elements Measurement of the gap between

22 Identification of fuel assemblies during refueling Provide the refueling operator with help to analyse video informations Read identification numbers on fuel elements Measurement of the gap between fuel elements inside the reactor vessel Difficulties : thermal turbulence and lack of contrast Benefits excepted Reduce the uncertainty on fuel assembly positions Reduce the job duration (evaluate the gap and reading information on fuel elements) Minimize the risk of hooking an element when removing upper internals Results : The refueling map is verified and the gaps between fuel elements are measured with more accuracy within the critical path

23 Innovative usages of videos & virtual reality : the Halden reactor Project Halden Reactor Project Prejob briefing / Navigation Hazard / dose visualization prohibited areas during Gamma NDE tests Halden Reactor Project Learning and training - Describe / model activity - Capture / Elicit knowledge - Use virtual reality to train / refresh knowledge

24 Information displays Adapt information to hardware: PDA, epaper, PC, Image wall, interactive surfaces

25 The chessboard of outage supervision A network of players and products exchanging information in outage Radiation Monitoring Center Outage Control Room Main Control Room Padlocking office Communication Networks Beware of : potential impact of wireless transmissions Cyber security Work Sites Wireless Networks

Specific difficulties for implementation of ICT innovations Nuclear work process, IT and networks are highly consistent Barrier against innovations: Information & Communication Technologies Work

26 Specific difficulties for implementation of ICT innovations Nuclear work process, IT and networks are highly consistent Barrier against innovations: Information & Communication Technologies Work processes At site level At work process level Communication infrastructures Information system Implementing ICT requires a simultaneous change in work process, information system and network infrastructures

27 How to succeed in implementing ICT innovations (1/3) Human factors Make sure that: Each of the new tools meets an actual need in the day-to-day environment New tools are adapted to end-users within the context of their work situation (or "what will be their new work situation"!) Specific coaching due to work practices modification is planned Designing from the user point of view means changing point of view Involving the users is not enough Innovative tools impacts work practices and environment The real issue is the role played by users in the new socio-technical system

Need for Enterprise Architecture Define current work practices

28 How to succeed in implementing ICT innovations (2/3) Company architecture From computerized systems to information systems Need for Enterprise Architecture Define current work practices Define the target Specify the needed evolution (work process vs. IT)

29 How to succeed in implementing ICT innovations (3/3) Implementation methodology Strong partnership between developer and nuclear operation staff at the top-management level as well as at the site level The technology roadmap is discussed between developing staff and Nuclear Operation staff Budgets for on-site pilots are allocated and scheduled Mock-ups for collaborative design and communication towards top managers "Partner site" for work practice analyses, collaborative design and sociotechnical studies

30 Nuclear industry is late about PLM concept Two facts illustrative of the need : Time is lost and mistakes are made because of wrong transmission of information between entities involved in design and construction : owner, investor, architect-engineer, vendor, contractors, To find the technical rationale behind a technical procedure or specification, plant operator has to rely either on "old engineer before he retires" or has to do "deep diving in an ocean of papers" PLM (Product Life Management) is THE answer : A unique information system through-out space and time The same for all, from the beginning of design to the end of dismantling Aeronautic industry has been using this concept for a long time Why not nuclear industry?

31 Conclusions (or lessons learned?!) When an innovation comes on the table, everybody should be involved in the development and implementation, from innovators to end-users and end-users mean REAL end-users! All impacts should be carefully and honestly analyzed (no miracle!) Impact on work practices is generally under-estimated : the question is not "how to integrate new technology in old work practice?" but "how new technology is going to change the work practices?" Real impact on safety should be seriously analyzed like other parameters (not under-estimating the indirect detrimental effect) Let's give credit to experience in the cost/benefit analysis of "new vs. old" When a developer proposes an innovation, it generally looks good But there is plenty of them and at the end, all innovations fall on the same shoulder : the employee in the plant Usually, you identify need and you look for solution. Sometimes it's good to go backward : identify solution and look for need!

32 Thank you for your attention!

Instrumentation and Control

Program Description Instrumentation and Control Program Overview Instrumentation and control (I&C) and information systems impact nuclear power plant reliability, efficiency, and operations and maintenance