Institute of Nuclear Power Operations INPO Configuration Management

Institute of Nuclear Power Operations INPO Configuration Management Activities Debbie Williams Senior Evaluator, CM (Williams. DJ@inpo. org) © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

EN/CM Department © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

INPO CM Focus Areas • Plant-specific issues Including issues with product quality, configuration control, reactor engineering, and engineering leadership. Causes often involve engineering fundamentals. • Industry issues – Margin management – Cable Aging Management – Technical Conscience – Nuclear fuel performance (including channel distortion) – Transformer/switchyard/grid issues – Gas accumulation © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Margin Management • Ongoing department focus area – Fundamental to plant safety – Key cause of long-term shutdowns – Average of five AFIs per year Debbie Williams • Extensive efforts at some plants to reconstitute design basis, upgrade calculations, and quantify/improve margins Kirk Weir Ken Nickerson © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Engineering Fundamentals • Engineering management effectiveness – Exec summary issue for several evaluations • Fundamentals at individual level – Knowledge/skill – Knowledge worker human performance – Advocacy and technical conscience Carl Faller © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Technical Conscience • The personal obligation leaders and individuals feel and exercise to ensure plant operation, maintenance, and engineering activities are conducted in a manner that preserves operating, design, and safety • Attributes: – – – Leaders Respect and Reinforce the Importance of Technical Considerations in Decision-Making Engineering Leaders Accept and Exercise Technical Authority Engineers Identify, Communicate, and Advocate Resolution of Technical Concerns Engineers Adhere to Sound Engineering Principles & Judgment Engineers Challenge Conditions and Decisions When Needed © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Nuclear Fuel Integrity • • • Industry goal of zero failures by 2010 Jim Doxsey Completed review visits to all sites Evaluation team review/follow-up Fuel vendor assist visits Currently, about 86 percent w/o failures Greatest challenges: – Grid-to-rod fretting (particularly at B&W and CE NSSS plants) – Debris-related failures – “Surprise” failures – emerging failure modes (P-grid) – Some recent failures after shutting down for refueling outages © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Bob Burnham Scott Hawn Randy Tropasso Shingo Tsumura

Transformer/Switchyard/Grid • Continuing concern as event initiator; affects reliability of offsite power • Evaluation activities • Review visits completed at all sites • Several follow-up visits in 2010 • Evaluation teams looking at switchyard PMs and transformer life-cycle management Shawn Simon • Excellence Guideline issued in July 2009; utility self-assessments requested by July 2010 • Engaging CEOs and CNOs to help improve nuclear/transmission alignment Wes Frewin • New SOER with updated recommendations (Early 2010) © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Other Activities • Cable Aging Management Debbie Williams • Engineering project management; vendor oversight Carl Faller Ken Nickerson Wes Frewin Debbie Williams • Digital issues and cyber security © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Emerging focus areas for 2010 • Actions to improve engineering product quality – Engage utilities and engineering vendors – Engineering Product Quality Workshop © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

2010 Meetings and Seminars • Technical working meetings • Transformer/switchyard/grid (August 17 -18) • Cable Aging Management (August 24 -25) • Digital upgrade* (August 24 -26 @ Comanche Peak) • PWR Reactor engineering (Dec 7 -9) • General working meetings • Design Engineering Managers (July 20 -21) • Engineering Managers Forum* (Dec 9 -10 @ St. Lucie) • Training/development • New Engineering Director Seminar (Sept 28 -30) * = Co-hosted with utility http: //www. inpo. org/engineering/Online. Reg. Form/onlineforms. asp © 2010 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations