Transcript No Slide Title

INPO Perspective on
Configuration Management
David Hembree
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
June 20, 2007
Charleston, SC
2007 CMBG Conference
Overall, the state of engineering and configuration
management across the nuclear industry is good. Many
organizations are addressing margin issues, completing
major modifications without incident, and providing
effective engineering support in areas such as equipment
reliability improvement and reactor engineering. . .
HOWEVER, almost all sites have some areas needing
improvement, and some continue to experience
significant challenges because of engineering and
configuration management issues.
2007 CMBG Conference
2005
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2006
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Number of AFIs
20
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CM Evaluation Results
25
2007 data through
March
15
10
5
0
2007
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Specific concerns
– Nuclear fuel performance
– Transformer/switchyard/grid events
• Broader issues (from evaluation results)
– Quality of vendor-provided engineering products
– Engineering Fundamentals, including knowledge,
critical thinking, and questioning attitude
– Margin management
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Nuclear fuel performance
– Industry goal of zero fuel failures by end of 2010
(current performance not on track to achieve this goal)
– Industry working groups established guidance to help
prevent each of the recurring fuel failure causes
– Review visits focus on management direction, fuel
designs, core designs, manufacturing oversight, fuel
inspections, failure cause determination, chemistry,
FME, etc.
– Results being shared with industry
2007 CMBG Conference
Scrams Related to Grid, Switchyard, & Transformer Events
Grid Scrams
SWYD Scrams
XFMR Scrams
Totals
35
16
15
12
11
10
10
7
6
5
3
2
3
2
11
9
9
8
6
2 2
2
3
4
2
4
as of
5/ 10/ 0
7
5
2
2
4
2
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Transformer/grid/switchyard (TSG) events
– Little improvement in trends of scrams and other events from TSG
issues
– SOERs 99-1 and 02-3 provide guidance
– Review visits focus on interfaces, adequacy of calculations for
offsite power reliability, preventive maintenance, and other
aspects discussed in the SOERS. All sites to be visited by end of
2008
– Sites should consider conducting self-assessment and acting to
address weaknesses
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Improving quality of vendor-provided engineering
– Many areas for improvement are associated with
engineering performed by outside organizations.
Causes include:
• Weak communications, including lack of detailed specifications
and few quality interactions between station and vendor
personnel
• Inconsistent participation in plant walkdowns and design
review meetings
• Fast-track scheduling without compensatory controls
• Incomplete review and verification
• Over-reliance on vendor expertise, which may have eroded
over time
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Vendor-provided engineering -- cont’d
– Situation is made more important by trend toward
greater use of vendors for engineering support
– INPO has generated several documents that may be of
use in this area
•
•
•
•
ED 2007-01, Use of Engineering Vendors
SER 4-05, Errors in Prep and Implementation of Mods
AP 930, Supplemental Personnel Process
INPO 05-6, Engineering Organizational Success Factors
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Engineering fundamentals weaknesses
– Knowledge deficiencies
• Often associated with design and licensing bases,
integrated system interactions, and specialty
information
• Often caused by staff changes from
reorganizations, attrition, and rotational
assignments
• Points to weaknesses in turnover, supervisory
effectiveness, and position-specific continuing
training
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Engineering fundamentals – cont’d
– Use of critical thinking and questioning attitude
• Not enough attention to detail by individual
engineers
• Not proactively identifying failure modes and effects
or understanding the risks and consequences of
technical decisions
• Not thoroughly reviewing engineering vendor
products
– See Engineering Digest ED 2007-02
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Margin management shortfalls
– Known margins issues not integrated into other plant processes
– Actions not taken to identify latent issues before self-revealed
– Actions not taken to prioritize and improve margins; margin
information not used in decision making
– Calculations and other design basis information not maintained, or
known weaknesses not addressed
– See INPO Engineering website under Focus Areas for additional
information
2007 CMBG Conference
INPO CM Focus Areas
• Current INPO efforts
– Continue focus on fuel integrity and TSG issues through review
visits, plant evaluations, and assistance
– Continue focus on improving fundamentals
• Dominion/INPO workshop on engineering human performance
July 25-27 in Richmond
• Evaluators probing fundamentals as potential causes of AFIs
• Other activities to be determined (provide suggestions)
– Develop better guidance for vendor-provided engineering
– Develop document to support margin management improvements
– Support new plant construction with CM guidance and assistance
to NSSS and AE design organizations
2007 CMBG Conference
Your input is welcome and encouraged. Please
provide suggestions for improving in any of these
focus areas. Also, provide input on other areas
needing industry wide attention.
David Hembree
(770) 644-8991
[email protected]
2007 CMBG Conference