Maintenance based design and equipment reliability for AECL's advanced CANDU reactor

This paper will describe how the elements of AECL's Maintenance Based Design will enable the Advanced CANDU Reactor to sustain high equipment reliability and capacity factors over the 60-year design life of the plant. The elements of Maintenance Based Design are; 1-Design Reliable Systems,Structures and Components (SSCs); 2-Select and Procure Reliable Components; 3-Incorporate Monitoring Capabilities and Facilities for SSCs; 4-Develop Maintenance Strategies and Programs for SSCs; 5-Apply Lessons Learned From Previous Plants; 6-Incorporate Maintainability and Event Free Features in the Design; 7-Provide Enhanced Maintenance Management Information and Tools to the Customer; 8-Optimize Chemistry and Materials in the Design. All these elements will be discussed with a detailed focus on the following; Design Reliable SSCs Using the techniques outlined in INPO AP-913, Equipment Reliability Process Description, each CANDU system that has caused any station past unavailability is analyzed as part of the ACR design in order to identify the critical components and any Single Points of Vulnerability (SPVs). All SPVs are then analyzed further in order to determine if they can be practically designed out or otherwise mitigated by the design. Developing Maintenance Strategies and Programs for SSCs Equipment degradation begins as soon as a component is manufactured and accelerates during initial commissioning and eventual operation. In order to sustain high levels of equipment reliability a maintenance strategy must be developed during the design phase and be ready for implementation before the start of commissioning. This maintenance strategy is developed for all critical components using the techniques of INPO AP-913 and other best industry practices. The strategy can be expanded and customized in conjunction with a future owner. Specific examples from the current ACR-1000 design will be used to show how these elements are being implemented.