Developing ''SMART'' equipment and systems through collaborative NERI research and development

The United States Department of Energy initiated the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) to conduct research and development with the objectives of: (1) overcoming the principal technical obstacles to expanded nuclear energy use, (2) advancing the state of nuclear technology to maintain its competitive position in domestic and world markets, and (3) improving the performance, efficiency, reliability, and economics of nuclear energy. Fiscal Year 1999 program funding is $19 Million, with increased finding expected for subsequent years, emphasizing international cooperation. Among the programs selected for funding is the ``Smart Equipment and Systems to Improve Reliability and Safety in Future Nuclear Power Plant Operations''. This program is a 30 month collaborative effort bringing together the technical capabilities of ABB C-E Nuclear Power, Inc. (ABB CENP), Sandia National Laboratories, Duke Engineering and Services (DE and S), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Pennsylvania State University (PSU). The program's goal is to design, develop and evaluate an integrated set of smart equipment and predictive maintenance tools and methodologies that will significantly reduce nuclear plant construction, operation and maintenance costs. To accomplish this goal the Smart Equipment program will: (1) Identify and prioritize nuclear plant equipment that would most likely benefit from adding smart features; (2) Develop a methodology for systematically monitoring the health of individual pieces of equipment implemented with smart features (i.e. smart equipment); (3) Develop a methodology to provide plant operators with real-time information through smart equipment Man-Machine Interfaces (MMI) to support their decision making; (4) Demonstrate the methodology on a targeted component and/or system; (5) Expand the concept to system and plant levels that allow communication and integration of data among smart equipment. This paper will discuss (1) detailed subtask plans for the entire program, including expected achievements, (2) preliminary results from the early program phases and (3) the program's relationship to other NERI programs being conducted by the same team