Test strategies for standby diesel generators

Diesel generators (DG) have been selected as the object for a pilot study, with the aim to address plant specific defensive measures against CCFs, and to generate representative CCF data which take into account such defences. As a part of this venture, the surveillance test arrangements were considered with special emphasis on the detection and removal of latent CCF mechanism. A comprehensive data base for the DGs of the Swedish plants and TVO I/II plant was collected and analysed in regard tot he CCF mechanism. 418 DG years were covered, including 49 monitored critical (shortly revealed), and 40 during DG operation. This data base was further supplemented with a closer interpretation of failure mode, and detectability by different test methods. The information provided a good basis in order to draw conclusions about the efficiency of different test types, and to evaluate test interval influence and to compare alternative test strategies for a group of reductant DGs. (author). 11 refs, 6 figs, 3 tab