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NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, May-June 2015
calculations and supporting justification.
The manufacturer must make sure
the original qualification is met and,
therefore, needs to provide the complete
design specification.
Finite element analysis (FEA)
is, however, widely used. It assists in
predicting the effect on mechanical parts
for normal and abnormal events and
helps demonstrate the integrity of the
component. Both FEA and computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) are used to
evaluate any change in conditions with
aftermarket engineering working closely
with SPX R&D.
10.
How does SPX utilize subcontracting
effectively?
SPX employs a dedicated project
manager to deal with comprehensively
assessed subcontractors to ensure they
are managed effectively and efficiently.
Specialist subcontractors are carefully
selected for specific tasks outside of
SPX’s core areas of expertise.
Contact: Colin Elcoate, SPX Power
& Energy, 149 Newlands Road, Cathcart
Glasgow, G44 4EX, United Kingdom;
telephone: 44 (0) 141 308 2173, email:
.
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equipment and the regional response
center equipment can perform a quick and
secure hookup.
For example, after a beyond-design-
basis event, the site may lose all off-site
power and its main diesels for circulating
water through the core cooling systems.
Obviously you’re going to be dependent
on temporary power, whether it’s your
battery backups or, now, backup diesels
stored in the hardened onsite FLEX
building or the national response centers.
It’s an enhanced defense in depth strategy.
6.
What modifications would you like to
see in the U.S. NRC regulations?
Cumulative impacts of regulation are
really an important issue, right now, and
the concern that the utilities have is clear.
If you start piling up all these regulations,
and you have the industry focusing on
all of these new regulations, then are we
really focusing on what’s making the
plants safer, or are we just trying to meet
all of the regulations?
Let’s prioritize in favor of actual plant
safety, and let’s defer some of these other
requirements that really aren’t directly
contributing to plant safety. There are
multiple angles the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission can use to issue regulations
for addressing a safety requirement. But
multiple regulations can have the opposite
impact and hinder safety effectiveness.
The NRC’s efforts are always well-
intentioned, but there may be unintended
consequences.
It’s
the
industry’s
responsibility to promptly inform the
NRC, what a regulation’s unintended
consequences are, how it may be detracting
and not adding to plant safety, and suggest
prioritized safety actions to ensure we’re
really focusing on the right things.
This conflicting regulation is a big issue
right now for emerging technologies like
digital I&C. Current rulemaking continuing
in the middle of digital designs and facilities’
digital upgrades could actually reduce
safety and increase operator burden, which
is really not the intent of the regulation, but
it is an unintended consequence.
The NRC has recently been very
amenable to working with the industry
on these issues and receiving input from
vendors and our customers. I would say
there is an increasingly better environment
for this kind of dialogue. We’re looking
forward to working with the new NRC
chairman, Steve Burns. His strong
regulatory background is good experience
to have in that position. We’re looking
forward to working with an independent-
minded NRC with a compliance-based
culture focused on safety and away from
regulating on academic issues that really are
not contributing to nuclear facility safety.
Contact: Curtis Roberts, AREVA
Inc. North America, 1155 F Street, N.W.,
Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20004;
Prioritizing Plant...
