R&D and Its Application to NPPs on Aging Management and Lifetime Assessment

Abstract

With more and more aged Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) are still in operation in main nuclear industrial countries, aging and life management for operational NPPs becomes a worldwide concern. Many countries and international organizations, like IAEA, etc., have published a lot of regulatory requirements and guidelines to make the aging be well controlled by implementing effective aging management (AM) system in NPPs based on well understanding on aging mechanisms, assessment methodology and online monitoring technique. As a pioneering R&D institute in NPP design in China, Shanghai Nuclear Engineering research & Design Institute (SNERDI) initiated R&D on aging and life management for main components of NPP in the middle of 1990s, when Chinese first NPP, Qinshan-I (Q1), was very young. At present, China has a very ambitious NPP development plan in the following 15 years. Establishment of regulatory requirements and guidelines on aging management for operational NPPs gradually becomes an actual need, with more and more new NPPs being put into operation in the near future. This paper provides a schematic introduction on SNERDI’s strategic consideration and R&D activities on aging management and lifetime assessment. As an example of application of R&D to operational NPPs, PSR for Qinshan-I (Q1) is briefly introduced. Finally, the paper provides some points of view on establishment of Chinese aging management (AM) regulatory system.