Incorporation of modern on-line spectral condition monitoring for operational availability improvement of reactor coolant pumps

At the design stage, the work reported here recommends provision of the possibility of employing modern on-line spectral condition-monitoring equipment in order to improve the operational availability of nuclear power plant equipment, the reactor coolant pump (RCP). Following an analysis of the leading causes in the RCP forced outages, incorporation of the use of advanced on-line spectral condition-monitoring sensors and their corresponding data-processing equipment in new power plant designs is sought. They are employed in order to detect the incipient symptoms generated during the progression of potential system faults of major concern. Firstly, the applicability of recent developments in new sensors and data-processing techniques is examined. This examination concerns system status parameter monitoring in the analysis of vibration, motor current, partial discharge and wear debris. Finally, use of modern sensors and data-processing equipment, which are valuable for the intended condition-monitoring systems, is recommended. Furthermore, valuable information on the future trend of currently developing sensors at the research stage is briefly presented. This state-of-the-art review lays a foundation for developing modern comprehensive sensor networks to support efficient condition monitoring in other power plant rotating machines.