TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON LIFE MANAGEMENT OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (TWG-LMNPP)
The focus of interest of TWG-LMNPP is plant ageing and life management including its decommissioning. Ageing management covers all aspects of aging assessment and mitigation including engineering, operations and maintenance actions to control within acceptance limits ageing degradation and wear of key components of the plants. Plant life management integrates the ageing management and economical aspects in order to optimize the operation, maintenance and service of plant key components and maintain the level of safety and performance as well as a return of investment as high as possible during the total service life of the plant.
The scope of work of TWG-LMNPP includes;
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Establishment and maintenance of initial and continuing plant life management for:
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Operations
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Maintenance
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Engineering and technical support
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Strategic, economic and administrative aspects of plant life management
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Technical areas for ageing and degradation of NPP systems, structures and components
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Periodic safety review and Licensing renewal process
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Materials aspects management o Radiation embrittlement
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Degradation mechanisms, significance and mitigation
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Monitoring degradation on component performance
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Surveillance programme
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Plant life management database
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Reactor pressure vessel material
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Steam generator
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Piping
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Concrete containment
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Assessment and means of plant life management
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Assessment of residual life of primary system and Reactor pressure vessel
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Heavy equipment replacement
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Power Uprating
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Refurbishment of systems, structures and components.
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MEMBERS STATES (established in 1968)
The membership of the TWG-LMNPP includes 27 countries and 2 international organizations.
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ARGENTINA
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AUSTRIA
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BELGIUM
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BRAZIL
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BULGARIA
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CANADA
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CZECH REPUPLIC
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FINLAND
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FRANCE
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GERMANY
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HUNGARY
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INDIA
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IRAN
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ITALY
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JAPAN
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KOREA,
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REP. OF NETHERLANDS
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ROMANIA
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RUSSIA
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SLOVAK REPUBLIC
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SLOVENIA
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SPAIN
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SWEDEN
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SWITZERLAND
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UKRAINE
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UNITED KINGDOM
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UNITED STATES
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EC
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OECD/NEA
PREVIOUS MEETING
A biennial regular meeting was held in Vienna on 18-20 February 2003. The following is the Chairman's assessment of the TWG-LMNPP activities as reported during the meeting.
The TWG-LMNPP prioritised areas of work needed to benefit Plant Life Management (PLiM) goals. Items and subjects such as neutron embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), corrosion of RPV internals, piping wear and corrosion, cable and instrumentation ageing, concrete containment degradation and dissimilar welds were agreed upon as being important for PLiM. The following TECDOCs and technical review series (TRS) relevant to the TWG-LMNPP activities are nearing completion:
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TECDOC on "Surveillance programmes results applications to RPV integrity assessment"
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TRS on "Guideline of Master curve testing and results application to RPV integrity assessment"
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TECDOC on Guidelines for Prediction of Radiation Embrittlement of Operating WWER-440 Reactor Pressure Vessels
The various co-ordinated research programmes (CRP) were reviewed and found to be relevant and on schedule. The future scientific and technical programmes were, subject to IAEA approval, agreed upon. Technical/other: No problems. The aims of the meeting were met in full, and the Minutes/Report issued to the TWG Members in time.
NEXT MEETING
The next regular meeting will be held in Feb. 2005.
CONTACTS
For more information you may send an e-mail to: Mr. Ki Sig Kang.
