A Study on the Engineering Programs used for Improving an Equipment Reliability in NPPs

The U.S. operators have achieved, as a result, better plant operation efficiency and higher facility safety and reliability by implementing engineering programs based on SNPM and ER processes. Thanks to this effort, the U.S. has become top nuclear power plant operator in the world, with 90 percent of nuclear power plant utilization rate. Meanwhile, Korean nuclear operator has introduced advanced nuclear operation methods and engineering programs step by step since 2004, including establishment of the organization which is exclusively responsible for engineering tasks, training programs for system engineers, and policy for Risk-Informed Regulation. However, the engineering programs have been shut down or shrunk due to elimination of the engineering department in 2013, a shift of focus to other pending issues after the Fukushima accident and lack of maintenance personnel. As the advanced engineering programs have been introduced to Korea in a short period of time, each program has been developed separately, lacking correlation with others, rather than through systematic development with well-organized comprehensive review. Each individual engineering program is operating in its separate and isolated environment, all of the programs have useful information for better engineering judgment. In conclusion, this research is believed to strengthen the domestic engineering capability, which has not been improved so far, and contribute to the enhancement of ER by building the integrated engineering management system of the program for functional reshaping of the programs and higher work efficiency. In this research, a basic direction for future improvement has been suggested through the analysis of the causal factors. Conducting stronger job performance trainings and developing the integrated engineering management system is left as a future task.