CANDU Owners Group R&D: Solutions for Today Innovation for the Future

Transcription

1 Excellence through Collaboration CANDU Owners Group R&D: Solutions for Today Innovation for the Future Michael Brett Director, Research & Development CANDU Owners Group 10 th Annual International Conference Sustainable Development through Nuclear Research and Education May 25 th 2017 COG Official Use Only

2 Presentation Overview COG who we are and what we do COG and Education COG Base R&D Programs solutions for today COG Strategic R&D Program innovation for the future 2

3 Our Members: COG MEMBER UNITS MWe COG MEMBER UNITS MWe Bruce Power (Canada) NB Power (Canada) CNL (Canada) (t) NPCIL (India) CNNO (China) OPG (Canada) KHNP (Korea) PAEC (Pakistan) NA-SA (Argentina) SNN (Romania) Red denotes a Voting Member COG Members and Participants Units Worldwide: 47 Installed Capacity: MWe And supplier participants make us stronger, working together Acuren Amec Foster Wheeler Areva NP Canada BWX Technologies Cameco Cdn Power Utility Services Energy Solutions GE Hitachi Canada Hatch Kinectrics RCM Technologies Stern Laboratories SNC-Candu Energy Worley Parsons 3

4 COG Vision, Mission, Role Vision CANDU Excellence Through Collaboration Mission Improve performance of CANDU stations worldwide through member collaboration Role Complement and Collaborate with Other Industry Organizations, including: EPRI, WANO, NUGENIA, INPO, IAEA AECL, CSA, OCI, CNA, CNS 4

5 COG Lines of Business Information Exchange Nuclear Safety & Environ l Affairs OPEX Communications Peer Groups and Workshops Supplier Participants Knowledge Management WANO / INPO Interface EPRI Interface Joint Projects & Services FCLM Refurbishment C6 Fleet Other Joint Projects CANPAC CANIAC CIQB Nuclear Safety Environmental Affairs Regulatory Affairs NEI / IAEA Interface CSA Interface Research & Development Fuel Channels Safety & Licensing Health, Safety & Environment Chemistry, Materials & Components Industry Standard Tool Set Strategic R&D 5

6 COG Support of Education Knowledge Management, e.g., sponsored publication of the CANDU textbook Member of University Network for Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) in Canada Facilitate directing selected funding by members to Universities that supports R&D and training of highly qualified professionals Currently evaluating ways to better leverage academic institutions 6

7 Solving Shared Challenges Together Research and Development Safety and Licensing Fuel Channels Chemistry, Materials and Components Health Safety and Environment Industry Standard Toolset Strategic R&D Meet Regulatory Obligations / Commitments 26% Maintain / Enhance Industry Human Capability 25% Improve Plant / Reliability / Optimize Revenue 36% Maintain a high level of Operation Safety 13% The work program The base R&D budget was ~ $33M to execute 312 work packages: 92 new work packages 220 ongoing work packages An additional >$3M allocated to Strategic R&D to enhance innovation 7

8 COG Base R&D Programs Safety and Licensing: R&D addressing plant aging to minimize deratings (e.g., 37 M, NOP margin) Issues relating to the safety design basis and safe operating envelope of existing facilities. Resolution of outstanding generic safety and licensing issues R&D to address Post-Fukushima enhancements and regulatory issues Working Groups and Task Teams: Containment and Severe Accident R&D Fuel and Fuel Channels Fuel Normal Operating Conditions Reactor Physics Thermalhydraulics Probabilistic Safety Assessment 8

9 COG Base R&D Programs Industry Standard Toolset Closely aligned with COG S&L program Qualification, development and maintenance activities on computer codes used for the design, safety analysis and operational support of CANDU reactors R&D to support migration to a modern thermalhydraulics code architecture The IST program is currently structured around sixteen codes: 9

10 COG Base R&D Programs Chemistry, Materials and Components Covers a diverse range of issues that can impact on the safe, reliable and efficient operation of the major CANDU systems and their auxiliaries Is focused to support Long Term Operation and Plant Life Extension Is integrated with the EPRI R&D program to maximize synergies and minimize duplication Working Groups and Task Teams: Chemistry Concrete Steam Generator Material Integrity Steam Generator Non-Destructive Inspection Steels Valves Cables Buried Piping 10

11 COG Base R&D Programs Fuel Channels Complements the FCLM Joint Project Improves confidence in fitness-for-service assessments Provides basis for industry standards for Pressure Tube integrity Focus is on aging mechanisms under normal operating conditions and impact on Pressure Tube material properties Working Groups and Task Teams: Crack initiation Corrosion/Deuterium ingress Fracture toughness Leak Before-Break (LBB) Rupture frequency Deformation Inconel X-750 fitness for service 11

12 COG Base R&D Programs Health, Safety and Environment: Minimization of radiation exposure to workers and to the public Protection of the Environment Integration with the EPRI R&D programs to maximize synergies and minimize duplication Working Groups and Task Teams: Internal Dosimetry External Dosimetry Environmental Impacts and Biodiversity Emissions Management Occupational Radiation Management Spills Management Waste Management 12

13 COG R&D Programs Strategic R&D Strategic R&D: Historically, projects supporting extended plant life and long range R&D have been part of the base R&D programs In 2015, the Strategic R&D (SRD) program was established to align with and support federal initiatives and invoke collaboration between industry, government and academia SRD Program Objective: The Strategic R&D Program will focus on developing the technologies and other solutions needed for the current and refurbished fleet of CANDU reactors to keep units operating safely, reliably and competitively for an extended plant life (60-90 years) 13

14 Grand Challenges During a Workshop in January 2015, a set of Grand Challenges were identified by the industry leaders in Canada Covered the following four initiatives: Enhance safety Improve economics of the current fleet Minimize environmental impact Improve public acceptance of the current fleet Leading up to a May 2016 workshop, COG Member CNOs and CNEs were approached to refine the Grand Challenges and identify a set of priorities for the Strategic R&D program 14

15 Strategic Focus Areas Rank Strategic Focus Area Program Drivers 1 Develop technology to reduce maintenance effort during outages. This includes built-in inspection and monitoring provisions to minimize work during outages and possibly avoid or shorten outages Reduce outage duration by 25% over the next 5-10 years, and by 50% for the next years Reduce outage cost by 25% over the next 5-10 years and by 40% over the next years Reduce PMs by 15% over the next 5-10 years and 25% over the next years based on advanced condition based monitoring Reduce outage dose by 20% over the next 5-10 years and 30% over the next years Reduction in maintenance/engineering staffing by levels comparable to the targets in LWR programs such as Delivering the Nuclear Promise 15

16 Strategic Focus Areas Rank Strategic Focus Area Program Drivers 2 Provide updated/enhanced computer codes to better characterize safety margins Ensure no reactor derates occur within this period (5-25 years) [e.g., due to modelling/computer code deficiencies] Avoid derates from ROP or process trip coverage margins Expect a reduction in the effort/cost of validation/verification of safety analysis codes by adopting international codes and getting us away from CANDU-specific codes. For areas where CANDU specific codes will be retained, expect to have single codes utilized across the CANDU industry instead of multiple codes for the same purpose 16

17 Strategic Focus Areas Rank Strategic Focus Area Program Drivers 3 Develop an improved understanding of material properties of reactor core components (pressure tubes, calandria tubes, end fittings, feeders, spacers, etc.) to provide longer overall reactor life Ensure no reactor derates occur within this period (5-25 years) [e.g., due to lack of understanding of material properties] Determine whether materials which are not replaced during a second refurbishment are acceptable for years of operation, and develop longer lived materials for components to be replaced during a 2nd refurbishment to provide longer life than current materials 17

18 Strategic Focus Areas Rank Strategic Focus Area Program Drivers 4 Develop technology and infrastructure to support decommissioning and long term waste management, including processes and procedures to minimize all forms of radioactive wastes and to reduce dose. This may include alternative fuel cycles to minimize high level waste Reduce waste costs by 50% over the next 5-10 years and 75% over the next years Reduce waste volumes by 25% over the next 5-10 years and 40% over the next years Capability in place to reprocess/burn spent PWR fuel/thorium Expect faster, better and cheaper decommissioning technologies and strategies Expect means of reducing low- and intermediate-level-waste generation and improved processing technologies, to reduce overall L&ILW costs by 50% 18

19 Strategic Focus Areas Rank Strategic Focus Area Program Drivers 5 Assess potential impacts of climate change on CANDU existing and planned physical facilities, CANDU operations, nuclear activities (e.g., nuclear substance transportation, construction), and nuclear refurbishment work No environmental issues for this period (5-25 years) Expect to get information on how climate projections and scenarios can affect our design basis and mitigating measures (e.g., impact of more extreme weather events; changes in lake levels, air and lake temperatures, etc.) 19

20 Strategic Focus Areas Rank Strategic Focus Area Program Drivers 6 Develop technology to enable reduced impact to the environment (waste, emissions) due to normal operation 7 Advance knowledge and public acceptance of low level radiation 8 Assess R&D needs in the social sciences that looks at human aspects of nuclear generation, including, human and organizational factors under extreme conditions, and human performance and safety culture under normal operation No environmental issues for this period (5-25 years) Reduce delays or substantive impacts to licence renewals To give us the same level of assurance that the people will operate as well as the equipment during a significant event 20

21 Program Phases Development Phase (3-5 years) Strategic Focus Areas identified Projects Roadmaps developed for each focus area Projects prioritized and selected Program Established (beyond 5 years) Program well integrated into COG R&D programs Managed through COG Technical Committees and Working Groups Strategic Focus Areas reviewed and modified as necessary Projects monitored and managed per COG Governance 21

22 Current Program and Next Steps Identify Working Groups and industry expertise for Strategic Focus Areas Develop Project Roadmaps for five of the Strategic Focus Areas 1. Reduce Maintenance Outages 2. Better Understanding of Material Properties 3. Waste & Decommissioning 4. Climate Change 5. Environmental Monitoring FY 2017/18: Support projects that align with the SRD program objectives 22

23 CANDU Excellence through Collaboration 23