Framatome ANP - AREVA

Cover StoryStandardized Outage ProcessImprovesFour-PartAnalysis SystemThe window and GAP analyses helpthe team identify the main constraintsand source of delays that impact anoutage. To ensure that everything thatcan affect an outage has beeninvestigated, the team developed afour-part analysis system to identifyand implement improvements thatmove an organization to higherperformance:A. Soft Skills – planning, scheduling,communications, ownership, scopecontrol, task management, longtermoutage strategy – all thoseitems that are human behaviordriven, nearly free of cost, but arepresent in every successful outageorganization in the world.B. Specific Task Improvements –refueling, steam generator, pumpand motor, valve maintenance –those typical areas that have alwaysbeen the domain of the servicevendor to bring advanced tooling,robotics, and skilled personnel toperform specific tasks usuallyconfined to outages.C. System EngineeringImprovements – technicalspecifications, faster cool downrates, water management plans,chemistry, license changes, andreliability-centered maintenancepractices, all applied to shortenoutage windows or eliminateoutage tasks.D. Major Modifications to plantsystems, structures or componentsto shorten outage durations.Integrated head packages forUS PWRs, permanent cavityseal plates, upgraded fuelhandling bridge control systems,and single pass stud tensioningcarousels are examples ofavailable improvements.Improvements in outage duration areobtained through a benchmark andgap analysis process where the plantand the outage team work together toassess the best performances andpractices already in place, comparecurrent plans to those best practices,establish the individual site’s risk andfinancial restrictions, and thenimplement selected improvements thatsatisfy the plant’s needs withoutexceeding their financial limitations.Thus, the final solution varies fromplant to plant. Every outage is anindividual event.Outage OptimizationGermany has been a worldwide leaderin this area. They initiated an outageoptimization process in the beginningof the 90s and achieved outages asshort as seven days. To reduce outagesfrom more than 30 days down toseven and increase plant availability,plant operators developed long-termoutage strategies, focused on outageplanning and management, andestablished a production-orientedmaintenance strategy. FramatomeANP cooperated on the overallplanning, especially on critical pathactivities, optimized personelresources, and developed innovativetechnologies and tools.Another example of this type of workalready underway is the Sizewell Bplant in England. Framtome ANP ispart of a consortium that has alreadyhelped Sizewell reduce its lastperformed outage by 16 days. Toaccomplish this, an Outage ControlCenter was created along with a HighImpact team to optimize outagepreparation and performance.Electricité de France (EDF) haslaunched an ambitious outageoptimization program whilemaintaining its high safety standards.Framatome ANP is developing servicepackage concepts (B) for some plantsas well as working on severalengineering issues (C) for tasks oncritical path (or near critical) such asspecific periodic test or operationsconstraints at other plants.In addition, Framatome ANP providesoutage optimization consulting andplant evaluation services, plant toolingupgrades including intelligentdiagnostic systems, system engineering10 Advanced Nuclear Power N O 7 April 2003