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In June 2020, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) finalized Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.2361 for plants evaluating the rod ejection accident (or reactivity-initiated accident [RIA]). The regulatory change is an enhancement of the precursor (RG 1.772 ) requiring a more detailed transient analysis that cannot be completed in the old onedimensional (1D) kinetics analysis methodology.
To resolve flow induced acoustic resonance in piping systems, Westinghouse can perform plant specific subscale testing to determine the source of the resonance and the optimal design change required to prevent it. For many plants, this design change involves the implementation of an acoustic side branch (ASB) in the existing piping system. Westinghouse has experience in testing and designing ASBs for several plants with flow induced acoustic resonances. The implementation of ASBs has proven to be an effective solution in reducing the magnitude of mechanical stress in the system and audible tones produced as a result of the resonance.
Background Westinghouse developed Advanced Doped Pellet Technology (ADOPT™) fuel to improve fuel cycle economics and enhance the accident tolerance of conventional uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel pellets. ADOPT fuel is an advanced doped pellet, developed in conjunction with Westinghouse’s EnCore® fuel program.
The boiling water reactor (BWR) control rod of today must meet high operational demands while at the same time contribute to decreased operational costs for the plant operator.
The boiling water reactor (BWR) control rod (CR) of today must meet high operational demands while at the same time contribute to decreased operational costs for the plant operator.
Westinghouse has developed the Advanced Logic System® (ALS®) platform as a new approach to safety-critical control systems. It is a universal platform that targets safety-critical control systems, where reliability and integrity are of the highest importance. The ALS platform is a logic-based platform that does not utilize a microprocessor or software for operation, but instead relies on simple hardware architecture.
The advanced plastics processing system (APPS) represents a new approach to plastics waste minimization in nuclear power plant waste treatment and in other areas where radioactive waste arises. Some customers currently sort plastics waste in sorting boxes, place it into compactable drums and then compact or supercompact it. Because compacted plastic has a deformation memory, “spring back” results after compaction, making it difficult to achieve optimal waste reduction. A Westinghouse APPS installation is based on proven techniques that are currently used in the plastics industry worldwide. Westinghouse innovates to enhance them for the nuclear application. Maximum waste reduction is achieved without changing the chemical composition of the plastics.
The Westinghouse Solid State Rod Control System (SSRCS) has been in operation at many plants for over 30 years. This system has been very reliable but obsolescence concerns are increasing and personnel experience for the analog control system is difficult to maintain in the modern, digital world. The system also has limited diagnostics and can be time consuming to troubleshoot, increasing downtime.
The accumulation of deposits in the secondary side of steam generators (SGs) increases the potential for accelerated tube degradation and flow oscillations. As these deposits harden and form crevices, they can cause conditions that lead to tube corrosion. To improve upon traditional mechanical deposit removal techniques and avoid the potential drawbacks of traditional SG chemical cleaning, advanced scale conditioning agent (ASCA) technology was developed in 2000.
Aging management is a technical process that provides reasonable assurance that the aging of important nuclear power plant systems, structures and components (SSC) is being managed so they will continue to perform their intended function(s). Outside the United States, the aging-management process is being utilized to confirm the aging-management elements of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Periodic Safety Review (PSR) process. Most member states require a PSR review once every 10 years for continued plant operation. In the United States, the aging-management process provides compliance with the requirements for obtaining a renewed operating license. License renewal is a regulatory process that allows a nuclear plant in the United States to extend its operating license for an additional 20 years (beyond the 40 years of its original license). Whether applied to the PSR or license renewal, this process provides an extremely cost-effective way to assure available generation capability into the future.
Background All metal filter modules (AMFM), developed by Dominion Engineering, Inc. (DEI) and offered by Westinghouse, were originally intended to collect large quantities of activated corrosion products liberated during ultrasonic fuel cleaning activities. While still in use for those applications, AMFMs are also now being installed as a cost-effective alternative to plastic filters for general filtration and vacuuming applications in the spent fuel pool and reactor cavity.
In response to industry motivation to reduce the cost and effort associated with reload low power physics testing (LPPT) – particularly elimination of rod worth measurements – Westinghouse has developed a methodology to optimize post-refueling startup physics testing.
The AMFM-B500 filtration system, developed by Dominion Engineering, Inc. (DEI) and offered by Westinghouse, makes use of all metal filter modules (AMFM) for a variety of vacuuming and filtration activities in the spent fuel pool and reactor cavity
The Westinghouse AP1000 ® Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) is simply more advanced than other nuclear power plant technologies available today in the worldwide commercial marketplace.
The AP1000® full-scope simulator provides the capability to train plant operators in a replica control room that represents the control consoles, control panels and displays in the plant control rooms.
Westinghouse proudly brings 70 years of experience developing & implementing new nuclear technologies that enable, reliable, clean, safe and economical sources of energy for generations to come. Our AP300 SMR leverages tens of millions of hours on AP1000® reactor development. The AP300 SMR technology builds upon the success of AP1000 reactors currently operating around the globe.
"The Westinghouse Nuclear Components Manufacturing (NCM) facility in Newington, New Hampshire has been producing large ASME Code and safety-related nuclear components for over 40 years. First of a Kind (FOAK), complex, and high-precision products are continually delivered to schedule and contractual financial requirements. "
Reliable and proper overhead crane performance is important to ensure personnel safety, nuclear safety, and the protection of important assets such as the reactor vessel internals, the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head, fuel assemblies, and dry fuel storage casks.
An alternative to visual RVIs inspection has been to remotely monitor the behavior of the RVIs using the Nuclear Instrumentation System (NIS) ex-core neutron flux detectors. All Westinghouse and CE PWRs have in their NIS, ex-core detectors to measure core power level.
Westinghouse’s AXIOM® alloy is our next generation of fuel rod cladding material developed for demanding fuel duties and higher burnups. AXIOM cladding provides improved corrosion resistance and hydrogen pick-up performance, while maintaining excellent dimensional stability and superior resistance to aggressive coolant chemistry conditions.
"Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking of reactor vessel internals is an important consideration as nuclear plants reach extended lifetimes. One component that is critical to maintaining the structural integrity of the internals and that has been shown to be susceptible to aging mechanisms is the baffle-to-former bolts (or baffle bolts)."
Westinghouse, through its subsidiary WesDyne International, provides nondestructive examination (NDE) services and inspection equipment for both the nuclear and non-nuclear power generation industries.
Westinghouse provides balance of plant (BOP) engineering services that deliver solutions across the entire plant. From specialty consulting to integrated, comprehensive solutions for engineering projects, Westinghouse’s BOP engineering and project management teams understand customer needs and address them to optimize plant performance.
Westinghouse provides balance of plant (BOP) engineering and component installation (E&CI) services that deliver engineering solutions across the entire plant, beyond traditional steam supply system services. From specialty consulting to integrated, comprehensive solutions for engineering projects, Westinghouse’s BOP E&CI services integrate customers’ needs and address them to optimize plant performance.
PWR operators are required to perform bare metal visual (BMV) inspections of their Reactor Vessel Heads (RVH) including the interface around each CRDM / CEDM penetration, head vent (if present), and 100 percent of the bare metal down to the flange in accordance with code case N-729-6.
SCOUT 2.0 is a semi-automated system that keeps all of the advantages of the original SCOUT while significantly reducing pneumatic and hydraulic maintenance issues.
The BEACON™ Core Monitoring System is an advanced core monitoring and support package that uses current instrumentation in conjunction with a three-dimensional (3-D), nodal analytical methodology for online measurement and analysis of 3-D power distributions. The system performs core monitoring, measurement data reduction, analysis, and follow and prediction.
The BEACON™ Core Monitoring System is an advanced core monitoring and support package that uses current instrumentation in conjunction with a three-dimensional (3-D), nodal analytical methodology for online measurement and analysis of 3-D power distributions. The system performs core monitoring, measurement data reduction, analysis, core follow and prediction.
BEACON™ 堆芯监测系统是一款先进的堆芯监测及支 持性软件包,该系统使用现有测量仪器,结合三维 (3D) 节点分析方法对三维功率分布进行在线测量及 分析。此系统可完成堆芯监测、测量数据处理、分 析、跟踪及预测。
Westinghouse provides full-scope blast analysis and design capability to address needs for commercial and critical infrastructure clients.
Since 2013, debris-induced fuel failures have led to declining fuel performance industrywide as addressed in INPO Event Report 19-6. Not only do these failures lead to increased fission products in the reactor coolant system (RCS),
To improve the overall optical quality of underwater inspections, Westinghouse has developed an all-digital, high-definition, underwater inspection system to allow utilities to see what they have been missing.
Excessive boiling water reactor (BWR) channel distortion has become a significant operational issue affecting BWR plants in the United States. If not properly managed, excessive channel distortion can increase the risk of safety-related disruptions.
Westinghouse, the world’s pioneering nuclear power company, supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR) in 1957 at Shippingport, Pennsylvania (USA). Today, the company is a fully integrated, worldwide supplier of both PWR and boiling water reactor (BWR) services.
Buried piping aging is an ongoing challenge in operating plants. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Nuclear Strategic Issues Advisory Committee (NSIAC) letter (NEI APC-09-53 Buried Piping Integrity Initiative) highlights the importance of maintaining the reliability of aging buried piping systems and how maintenance impacts license renewal.
As a full-service provider for boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear power plants, Westinghouse can offer engineering services for BWR safety analysis, including containment analysis.
The boiling water reactor (BWR) control rod (CR) of today must meet high operational demands and at the same time contribute to decreased operational costs for the plant operator.
Westinghouse offers engineering services in various areas related to boiling water reactor (BWR) safety analysis. These include fast and slow transients, stability, loss-ofcoolant accident (LOCA), and containment analysis.
Background For more than 35 years, Westinghouse has cut reactor vessel internals. For some plants, this was done in the frame of reactor pressure vessel internals (RPVIs) replacement as part of life-cycle extension programs. In some other cases, Westinghouse cut internals in plants under decommissioning. The underwater mechanical cutting technique has been used in all boiling water reactors (BWRs) since 1999.
Small leaks in pressurized water reactor (PWR) head penetrations can prevent a nuclear power plant from returning to power and cause expensive delays until a fix is devised. An increasing number of plants are reporting primary coolant leaks in the field-welded canopy seal area. To control these kinds of leaks, Westinghouse offers a full range of products and services including a unique mechanical clamp assembly named the Canopy Seal Clamp Assembly (CSCA™).
As the nuclear fleet ages, Westinghouse- and Combustion Engineering (CE)-designed plants are experiencing a greater number of Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM)- and Control Element Drive Mechanism (CEDM)-related issues. These issues can range from improper polarity between coils; failed splices within coils; past operation of coils at excessive temperatures or current causing turn-to-turn shorts; cable and connector degradation; latch assembly wear; crud induced mis-stepping [2]; and failed latch assembly springs [1].
Westinghouse has a proven tool to provide solutions to many common emergent and long-term utility concerns. Westinghouse’s CE Nuclear Transient Simulator (CENTS) code is a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensed best-estimate analysis code that can be used in a variety of pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) applications.
Westinghouse developed the CE16NGFTM next generation nuclear fuel assembly for 16x16 Combustion Engineering nuclear steam supply system (CE-NSSS) style reactors to improve fuel performance, especially at high-duty operation, enhance fuel reliability and provide additional value to users through power upratings, improved operability and favorable fuel cycle economics.
Combustion Engineering (CE) Control Element Drive Mechanism (CEDM) coils have been in use for more than 40 years with a respectable operating history. However, the upper gripper coil, which is normally energized continuously in order to hold the control rod at the full out position, has been found to be under particular stress. As a result, the CE CEDM upper gripper coil is prone to early failures, accelerated by excessively high voltage or exposure to temperatures above its design value.
Westinghouse has developed replacement Combustion Engineering (CE) Control Element Drive Mechanism (CEDM) High Temperature (HT) Upper and Lower Gripper Coils that have much higher temperature capability than the original CEDM gripper coil design. CE CEDM coils from the standard CE design have been in use for more than 40 years with a respectable operating history. However, the upper gripper coil, which is normally energized continuously in order to hold the control rod at the full out position, is under particular stress. As a result, the CE CEDM Upper Gripper Coil may fail after several years of service. Its failure is accelerated by excessively high voltage or exposure to temperatures above its design value.
If radioactive liquid or solid waste needs to be converted into a product suitable for final storage, cementation is one of the methods commonly used. Cement is readily available and inexpensive for use in solidifying liquid or wet solid waste, and also for encapsulating solid waste generated during operation of a power plant as decontamination and decommissioning waste and legacy waste. Using cement for immobilizing radioactive waste offers a wide range of possibilities for optimizing the properties of the final end product. Recipes for the end product can be tailor-made to suit particular waste streams – from the highest possible compression strength to the maximum amount of waste at a certain level strength – combined with low leachability.
Removal of particles from liquid waste is one of the most important steps in liquid radioactive waste treatment to get rid of particle-bound activity and protect downstream processes. The Westinghouse chamber filtration system consists of a chamber filtration unit, a feed tank with pump, a permeate tank with pump, a filtration additive tank with pump and a reject system with a Westinghouse-design docking station for the drums. Chamber filtration can tolerate various solid concentrations and build up its own filter layer; therefore, it is particularly well suited for sludge and other similar fluid mixtures. Filter additives can be used, if necessary and no filter cartridge waste is created.
Microbiologically facilitated corrosion in closed cooling systems has become more of a concern due to the nature of pitting corrosion cells protected by slimes and cemented crusts. While biocides may effectively control the overall bacterial counts, the protected environments provide a setting for localized corrosive and electrochemical attack.
The chemical decontamination process was developed for commercial use in the late 1970s and early 1980s and has been used by Westinghouse for more than 30 years.
Westinghouse offers innovative solutions to meet customer’s decontamination and effluent waste treatment needs. Westinghouse addressed these needs by developing a variety of chemical decontamination processes and delivery systems. Westinghouse has four different, off-the-shelf, field ready systems that target a specific size system to ensure an efficient and effective decontamination.
Chemistry performance in a nuclear power plant strongly influences the efficiency of power operation, refueling outages, and routine maintenance. Utilities’ chemistry needs range from approval of consumable compatibility to a complete range of chemistry support for operations and outages.
Instances of flux thimble tube wear and leakage observed in operating Westinghouse designed reactors with bottom mounted instrumentation have been attributed to flow-induced vibrations in the lower internals support column area. As a result, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Bulletin 88-09, “Thimble Tube Thinning in Westinghouse Reactors,” which instructs affected utilities to establish and implement inspection programs to periodically confirm thimble tube integrity.
Westinghouse provides full-scope civil and structural engineering capabilities and offers a broad range of solutions for the nuclear power industry. Westinghouse has a long history of providing innovative solutions to address customer needs to meet code, regulatory, and other unique requirements.
The BOP and Design Engineering civil structural and geotechnical engineering services is a proven and consistent supplier of civil and geotechnical design and services for power generation, oil & gas, and industrial infrastructure projects.
To maintain Class 1E qualification standards when replacing low-voltage motors, Westinghouse Nuclear Services offers a range of motors manufactured to original Westinghouse specifications and qualification standards for safety-related Class 1E applications in nuclear power plants.
To help utilities maintain Class 1E qualification standards when replacing Westinghouse mediumvoltage motors, Westinghouse rotating equipment services (RES) offers interchangeable mediumvoltage motors in the World Series, Lifeline D, Lifeline A and Type CSP designs for safety-related Class 1E applications
The Westinghouse Solution Westinghouse has made significant investments in equipment and skilled resources to perform a wide variety of commercial grade dedication. This team of qualified inspectors, technicians and engineers experienced in executing CGD activities enables Westinghouse to dedicate any type of component from fuses and bolts to circuit breakers and electrical cabinets.
Background Computerized procedures were developed to help operators execute normal and emergency operating procedures. Westinghouse has designed, developed and implemented a datadriven, software-based computerized procedures system (CPS) that guides operators through plant operating procedures. It monitors plant data, processes the data and then, based on this processing, presents the status of the procedure steps to the operator. The system can be used for normal operating procedures, abnormal operating procedures and emergency operating procedures. Computerized procedures allow the operator and computer to complement each other for more accurate and efficient procedural execution.
The Configuration Management Interface System (CMIS)TM is a paperless, web-based solution to implement and manage engineering deliverables for the nuclear industry.
The Configuration Management Interface System (CMIS)TM is a paperless, web-based solution to implement and manage engineering deliverables for the nuclear industry. The main feature of the application is CMISDP (Design Process), which implements the U.S. Standard Design Process (IP-ENG-001).
The Configuration Management Interface System (CMIS)TM is a paperless, web-based solution to implement and manage engineering deliverables for the nuclear industry. The main feature of the application is CMISDP (Design Process), which implements the U.S. Standard Design Process (IP-ENG-001).
In 1995, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) provided an Option B to Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 50, Appendix J, which is a performance-based approach to leakage testing requirements that allows licensees with acceptable test performance history to change surveillance frequencies. Addressed with the performance-based approach are the surveillance frequencies for Type A, B and C tests. The Type A test assesses the overall leakage of containment. The Type B test assesses leakage for containment penetrations. The Type C test assesses leakage for containment isolation valves. At that time, provisions were made for extending the Type A test (integrated leak rate test [ILRT]) frequency from 3-in-10 years to 1-in-10 years.
Through its acquisition of ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power in 2000 and its current KWN joint venture in Korea, Westinghouse supports the supply of 14x14 and 16x16 Control Element Assemblies (CEAs) for Combustion Engineering Nuclear Steam Supply System (CENSSS) plants, including those based on System 80 design technology. Westinghouse supplies all of the various full strength and part strength CEA design types used by the current operating fleet of CE-NSSS reactors.
The CRDM seismic support assembly is typically equipped with four radial seismic restraints that resist lateral translation of the CRDM seismic support platform, and two tangential seismic restraint assemblies that resist CRDM seismic support platform rotation. Both the radial and tangential seismic restraints are typically designed to take tension loadings only.
The thermocouple nozzles on Westinghouse reactor vessel heads have two primary pressure boundary seals that have to be disassembled during each refueling outage: an upper and a lower Conoseal® joint. Each of these joints uses a Conoseal metal seal for the pressure boundary. If a seal fails during a refueling outage, the system has to be depressurized and drained below the seal elevation. After replacing the seal, the system must be refilled and vented, adding more than a day to critical path work and resulting in a significant increase in man-rem exposure.
The PWROG consists of 1,800 members representing utilities that own a combined 180 Pressurized Water Reactor-designed nuclear power plants all over the world.
Analog and digital control systems frequently perform poorly due to improperly selected control setpoints that resulted from on-the-fly tuning. To help address tuning problems, Westinghouse has developed a Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS)/Feedwater (FW) control system & plant model for use in modeling evaluations. It can also be used for support of on-site control system tuning. The NSSS/FW control system model has been developed for use with Westinghouse, Combustion Engineering (CE), and non-Westinghouse designed plants worldwide.
In recent years, fuel assembly channel bow has become a serious concern to the boiling water reactor (BWR) industry.
Westinghouse Criticality Safety Services assess the margins to criticality, promoting safe and cost-effective storage, handling and transportation of pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear fuel products. Criticality Safety Services provide explicit and complete analyses of fresh and spent nuclear fuel configurations, including extensive documentation and licensing support. All analyses are performed under the Westinghouse Quality Management System (QMS), providing verification and validation of all analysis and documentation activities.
Westinghouse’s next-generation Customer Collaboration Center (C3) takes the work and worry out of managing engineering servers for your Westinghouse-licensed technologies. Users are free to create a specialized computing environment on systems that conform to strict Westinghouse standards, thereby producing dependable, reliable and consistent results.
Background Nuclear facilities that are no longer operating due to economic factors, licensing issues, end-of-life components or other reasons are candidates for decommissioning and dismantling (D&D), followed by site restoration.
Nuclear facilities that are no longer operating due to economic factors, licensing issues, end-of-life components or other reasons are candidates for decommissioning and dismantling (D&D), followed by site restoration.
Westinghouse decontamination and segmentation boxes are used to segment and decontaminate equipment, parts and other material that arise during operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants or other nuclear facilities. The boxes are designed and developed to meet our customers’ specific needs regarding the capacity, plant layout, functional requirements, logistics, dose rate of material and degree of automation by focusing on as-low-as-reasonably-achievable principles.
Westinghouse has been manufacturing nuclear components at our Newington, New Hampshire Nuclear Components Manufacturing (NCM) facility for over 40 years. A key differentiator that enables the repeated successful performance of challenging manufacturing projects at NCM is the emphasis on upfront manufacturability and prototyping collaboration.
Digital Optimization Services Reduce Utility Costs and Improve Equipment Reliability Around the globe, utilities need a better, smarter way to make informed decisions that minimize outages, lower costs, increase energy output, and broaden profit margins.
Benefits Summary ,The Westinghouse DADS offers these benefits: Minimal installation time (approximately two hours), Fits inside the same footprint as the original DRPI display system using the same interface connections
Drums that use a waste package with an elevated dose rate need to be capped automatically to avoid a dose rate exposure of workers. A Westinghouse-design drum capping system provides fully-automatic drum lid storage and fully-automatic capping of waste drums. The system can be installed in buildings, as part of a larger facility, and also in mobile systems.
Radioactive waste shall be without free liquid for storage or disposal to avoid chemical reactions and corrosion. A drum dryer removes moisture from solid waste, such as sludges. The drum dryer was especially developed for the conditioning of waste contained in drums, but also other special containers.
Identifying the content of waste packages is an essential part of waste management activities to document the waste package parameters necessary to meet the storage or disposal requirements. Westinghouse provides a customizable drum radiation monitoring system for the non-destructive analysis of waste drums. We can provide a smooth integration of this system into a larger processing system.
Dry cask storage in/on an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) is the preferred solution for used nuclear fuel until a permanent geologic repository is established by, or for, the US Government. Westinghouse, through our acquisition of CB&I Stone and Webster, has extensive experience in design, analysis, licensing, and construction of an ISFSI. We also have the experience and expertise required to evaluate dry storage options along with design and construction of ISFSI expansions.
The foreign material that can be captured, using the DUST, includes things like small bolts, washers, shavings, plastic tie wraps, and pieces of cloth. The suction force can be adjusted by the operator in a fully variable fashion, allowing for high precision during retrieval of debris.
The oil level indicating system on Westinghouse reactor coolant pump (RCP) motors monitors the oil inventory within the bearing oil reservoir. The concept behind the original system used on the lower oil reservoir on RCP motors was a simple transference of oil level from inside the bearing oil reservoir to an alarm reservoir and sight glass that is external to the lower oil reservoir.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering electrical engineering services is a proven and consistent supplier of electrical design and services for power generation, oil & gas, and industrial infrastructure projects. To simplify contracting activities, Westinghouse provides a wide range of electrical engineering services from simple engineering staff augmentation to integrated, comprehensive solutions for large, complex electrical designs to component replacements and plant-wide modification projects.
Combustion Engineering (CE) Control Element Drive Mechanism (CEDM) coils have been in use for more than 40 years with a respectable operating history. However, the upper gripper coil, which is normally energized continuously in order to hold the control rod at the full out position, has been found to be under particular stress. As a result, the CE CEDM upper gripper coil is prone to early failures, accelerated by excessively high voltage or exposure to temperatures above its design value.
On Dec. 2, 1957, Westinghouse changed the world when Shippingport, the first commercial nuclear power station in the U.S., came online. Today, Westinghouse is changing nuclear energy again, building on our legacy of innovation with our revolutionary new accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) design, EnCore® fuel.
Reactor coolant pump (RCP) control leak-off seal performance is heavily influenced by a variety of plant and environmental conditions that can directly impact the RCP seal leak-off rate, the dominant variable used to evaluate seal performance. Unplanned forced outages or an extension of an outage can result if leak-off rates approach their lower or higher operating limits.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering Product Line has performed major engineering and design, plant modifications and upgrade work at many PWR and BWR nuclear stations. We have proven experience and detailed lessons learned developed from many projects that provide our clients with an extensive pool of resources best prepared to apply industry best practices honed through hands-on background.
Many nuclear utilities are struggling with high inventory levels and cost, while still facing vulnerabilities of not stocking parts critical to safety and plant operation. Enhanced Inventory Management addresses these challenges by reducing inventory levels and associated costs. The service is a key element of the OptiLifeTM Service Center which utilizes Westinghouse’s industry-best data capabilities and engineering subject matter experts to optimize inventory for our customers.
Many nuclear utilities are challenged to identify gaps with respect to parts needs for upcoming outages. Due to long lead times and lack of work demand visibility, these gaps result in a lack of preparedness for planned outage scope.
The enhanced performance rod cluster control assembly (EP-RCCA™) was developed to provide enhanced performance relative to previous control rod designs through the selection of materials and surface treatment that enhance the product’s resistance to wear and irradiation. The materials were selected with the intent to perform well with regard to corrosion and dimensional stability over the EP-RCCA design lifetime.
Nuclear utilities are struggling with a strategic approach to managing the overwhelming challenges in Procurement Engineering. Customer have been challenged with the headwinds of obsolescence, attrition, retention and wasteful spend while determining solutions to Procurement Engineering Challenges in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Westinghouse's Qualification Operations, has been an industry leader in providing equipment qualification services to the nuclear industry for over 40 years and is headquartered in New Stanton, Pennsylvania (USA) with global operations.
Westinghouse has developed and continues to advance heat pipe technology and manufacturing processes through design, analysis tools and test capabilities. Westinghouse has also developed proprietary manufacturing processes for high performance heat pipes based on strict quality controlled techniques, procedures, and tooling.
"The eVinci Micro Reactor’s innovative design combines new technologies with 50+ years of commercial nuclear design and engineering and creates a cost competitive and resilient source of power with superior reliability and minimal maintenance. Its small size allows for transportability and rapid, on-site deployment in contrast to plants requiring large amounts of construction. eVinci can produce 5MWe with a 15MWth core design. The reactor core is designed to run for eight or more full power years before refueling."
The eVinci™ Microreactor's innovative design combines new technology advancements with 60+ years of commercial nuclear design and engineering, creating a cost-competitive and resilient source of zero-emissions power and heat with superior reliability and minimal maintenance. Its small size allows for transportability and rapid, on-site deployment. eVinci can produce 5MWe with a 13MWth core design. The reactor core is designed to run for eight or more years at full power before refueling.
Saskatchewan Research Council partners with Westinghouse to deploy the first-of-a-kind microreactor Saskatchewan is undergoing an energy transition. Microreactors will play a key role in providing sustainable electricity, heat and energy resilience across Canada’s north.
The eVinci™ Microreactor provides a cost competitive, flexible and resilient source of power and heat while enabling active nuclear research opportunities. The eVinci small size allows for flexible transportability and rapid on-site deployment. Westinghouse combines new technology with over 60 years of nuclear design and engineering experience to support research applications.
Helping Communities to Grow with emissions free and reliable heat and power generation.
The eVinci microreactor's innovative design combines new technologies with 60+ years of commercial nuclear design and engineering and creates a cost competitive and resilient source of power with superior reliability and minimal maintenance. Its small size allows for transportability and rapid, on-site deployment in contrast to plants requiring large amounts of construction. eVinci can produce 5MWe with a 13MWth core design. The reactor core is designed to run for eight or more full power years before refueling.
The world is gearing up for our next visit to the moon- but this time we plan to stay. It's time to grow, innovate, and build sustainable habitats beyond our planet. The moon has critical elements required for deep space exploration including water, rocket fuel, hydrogen, and oxygen which can be used to supply difficult missions to Mars and beyond. The eVinci Space Microreactor provides the energy security necessary for humans to thrive on the moon and continue exploration of the solar system.
All nuclear power plants must consider and evaluate external flooding risks such as flash flooding from rain, river flooding, dam failure, hurricane and tsunami. These events challenge off-site power, threaten many on-site plant mitigation components, challenge the integrity of plant structures and limit plant access. Plants must understand the impact of these events in order to fully comprehend and prepare for these plant risks. Existing plant mitigation procedures may not be adequate to deal with these types of events.
Since the late 1980s, industry data has consistently identified the feedwater system as one of the top two major system contributors to the number of automatic reactor trips, with poor feedwater control as a significant root cause. In response, Westinghouse has provided leading feedwater control upgrade technology as the basis for numerous retrofits currently operating in dozens of nuclear units worldwide, dating back to its first wave of digital upgrades in the late 1980s that initially utilized the WDPF® Instrumentation and Control (I&C) platform.
Safe and expedient pressure release from reactor containment to the atmosphere must occur so that containment integrity can be maintained if pressure builds up in containment during a severe accident. A filtered containment venting system (FCVS) is necessary to perform such a containment depressurization effectively while minimizing the radioactivity released into the environment.
A Fire PRA is required to implement plant transition to NFPA 805, as well as to meet NRC Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.200 requirements (i.e., technical adequacy of PRA results for risk informed activities). NFPA 805 is a standard developed by the National Fire Protection Association that provides a risk-informed, performance-based alternative to a plant’s current fire protection program. NUREG/CR-6850 is the NRC-endorsed guidance for developing a Fire PRA that meets the Fire PRA Standard, ANS 58.23.
The Westinghouse Fire Risk Services Team is a one-stop shop for all aspects of nuclear power plant fire protection and fire risk assessment.
Westinghouse has been providing its Flux Mapping System (FMS) for pressurized water reactors (PWRs) since the beginning of the commercial nuclear power industry. The FMS provided by Westinghouse and systems based on the Westinghouse technology and design are in operation in nearly 50 percent of the operating plants worldwide. Replacement systems and upgrades also have been provided to PWR FMSs.
Westinghouse, through its subsidiary PaR Nuclear, Inc., has designed fuel-handling equipment that minimizes the potential for human performance (HuP) errors. It is designed to improve the physical layout of bridge and trolley structures, reduce operator stress-induced errors and provide clear sight lines to fuel.
PaR Nuclear has the experience to offer two levels of service to support installation of new fuel-handling equipment and outage-critical cranes and equipment upgrades.
PaR Nuclear, a subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, provides all types and sizes of cranes for use in nuclear power plants, with particular expertise and experience in outagecritical cranes. An outage-critical crane, a polar crane or reactor building crane, is one whose performance has the potential to impact refueling outage duration. As nuclear plants progressively reduce refueling outage durations, crane performance increasingly affects critical-path outage time.
Westinghouse, offers pre- and post-installation service and support for both fuel-handling and outagecritical cranes. A year-round support program, it was developed to focus on this equipment before, during, and after an outage. By targeting these areas, our procedures remain current, maintenance items are addressed quickly, spare parts are optimized, and upgrades are evaluated.
FUELDUTYDRV (FDD) is a best-estimate fuel component analysis tool that can process physics data, thermal-hydraulic (TH) analysis codes and mechanical data for fuel performance assessment of any and all fuel rods in the core.
The new FuelMaster® boiling water reactor (BWR) mast, designed by PaR Nuclear, Inc., a subsidiary of Westinghouse, is a freefloating, free-swinging, telescoping mast developed as a replacement mast on existing BWR refueling and fuel-handling platforms. Made of 304 stainless steel tubing, the mast is a square, tubular design with one stationary section and three moving sections. PaR Nuclear designed this mast with the following objectives in mind: simplicity, ease of maintenance, interchangeability of components, and suitable clearances to prevent binding and crud traps.
As its name implies, the state-of-the-art FULL SPECTRUM™ LOCA (FSLOCA™) evaluation model can analyze the full spectrum of LOCA break sizes with improved capability and analysis results compared to prior LOCA technologies. The FSLOCA evaluation model is NRC-approved for application to Westinghouse 3-loop and 4-loop PWRs. Extensions of the methodology to Westinghouse 2-loop PWRs, plants equipped with direct vessel injection, and CE PWRs are ongoing such that the methodology will soon be NRC approved for all Westinghouse and CE PWR designs.
Since 1968, Westinghouse has provided premier customer-focused refueling services for hundreds of plant outages worldwide. Our vast experience is unequaled in the industry and uniquely qualifies us to offer superior services.
Westinghouse has designed, fabricated and installed a full-system decontamination modular system at an operating nuclear power plant and performed a 105,000-gallon, in-situ chemical decontamination of the pressurized water reactor, steam generators and plant cooling systems.
Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.200 endorses the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) consensus standard for internal events probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), which includes a set of minimal requirements for PRA modeling of large early release frequency (LERF). As the use of PRA in the nuclear industry matures, the capability of plant-specific LERF models, particularly those used in regulatory operations, must meet these standards.
Operating nuclear plants are required to perform various Non-Destructive Examinations (NDE) of their Reactor Vessel Heads (RVHs) in accordance with federal regulations and ASME Code Section XI.
Westinghouse Electric Canada provides a suite of customized solutions and specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of high-reliability, custom-engineered systems for the nuclear industry. Our commitment to nuclear is demonstrated by over 45 years of experience, including more than 2,500 contracts for CANDU® utilities both in Canada and globally.
Genetec Security Center is a truly unified platform that blends IP video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition, intrusion detection, and communications within one intuitive and modular solution. By taking advantage of a unified approach to security, your organization becomes more efficient, makes better decisions, and responds to situations and threats with greater confidence.
At Westinghouse, pump and motor service is one of our primary specialties. For over 35 years, we’ve designed and manufactured pumps and motors for the nuclear industry. As this equipment ages, it must be maintained, repaired, or sometimes replaced.
The GOTHIC™ computer code is a state-of-the-art program for modeling thermal hydraulic transients with multiphase, multicomponent fluid flow. These capabilities make GOTHIC an excellent tool for accurately modelling complex heatup and flow balance calculations.
Westinghouse uses treatment and conditioning processes to convert a wide variety of radioactive waste materials into forms that are suitable for their subsequent management— including transportation, storage and final disposal. The use of specially formulated grouts provides the means to immobilize radioactive material that is in various forms of filter cartridges, super-compacted pellets or in other forms of non-compactable radioactive waste.
Westinghouse has provided quality products and services to the nuclear industry for more than a decade. Using this experience, and incorporating unique concepts, it has developed a high-flow backwashable filtration system that can process at high flow rates and at filter sizes to the sub-micron range. These systems provide a cost-effective way to meet diverse filtration demands.
With the new high-power motor test system, Westinghouse has expanded full functional testing capabilities for the nuclear industry. With the addition of the following upgrades, Westinghouse is even better able to serve its customers.
The Westinghouse Hot Resin Supercompaction (HRSC) process is applied for volume reduction of organic bead and/or powder resin. It was developed more than 20 years ago to address the specific waste characteristics of one nuclear power plant. The presence of both powder and bead resins was considered in developing the process to address the needs of both pressurized and boiling water reactors. The most critical issue for a successful process configuration is the duroplastic behavior of resins, in particular of the bead resins. This behavior prevents the resins from building a homogenous, solid block and, in the worst case, bursting the metal surface of the pellet, known as the spring-back effect. Various laboratory and full-scale trials had to be performed to adjust the process parameters to address this issue.
The Westinghouse Solution Westinghouse is committed to bringing efficient, large-scale hydrogen production to nuclear facilities through operating plant integration and advanced reactor designs. Clean hydrogen supports societal decarbonization while yielding a significant, yet flexible revenue stream to utilities around the world. Westinghouse is positioned to be a full-scale hydrogen partner, maximizing power output, modernizing plants for long term operations and monetizing hydrogen production.
Westinghouse has more than 40 years of experience providing integrated specialty maintenance and technical services. We provide experienced project management and union and non-union labor who understand the demands of our customers and deliver quality I&C, Electrical Maintenance and Specialty Services. Our capabilities include MWO reduction, implementation testing and procedure writing as well as training services.
Cameras play a key role in the safety of workers and equipment in the nuclear industry. They are used to remotely monitor activities such as job coverage, personnel monitoring, fire watch, dose reduction, inspections, and monitoring of controls, gauges, and site glass. Due to the ever-changing demands for video quality, usability and the obsolescence of components, Westinghouse has launched its latest Power over Ethernet (PoE) compact and robust high definition (HD) pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) video camera; the ICH 5 Thunderforce Camera.
Drying processes are used for volume reduction of liquid radioactive waste. The final product of this process is a solid waste product. The Westinghouse in-drum dryer dries liquid, non-combustible waste such as evaporator concentrates. During the drying process the solid content in the drum increases and precipitates while the liquid is evaporated and condensed subsequently. By falling below a certain drum filling level, liquid waste is automatically re-dosed. The drying process is complete once a certain condensate flow is no longer reached. The result is a quality dry product that can withstand long-term storage without chemical or biochemical reactions occurring over the subsequent storage period.
Westinghouse provides an independent review of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) program studies to help customers show that their PRAs meet applicable technical-quality requirements. Per Revision 2 of Regulatory Guide 1.200, PRAs used for risk-informed regulatory applications must meet certain technical adequacy and quality requirements, as determined by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) PRA Standard (RA-S-2008).
Background The Information and Control (I&C) Systems Platform is a non-safety distributed computer system for Category B and Category C applications. The platform has been applied in numerous nuclear retrofit projects, and is the standard basis for non-safety related nuclear I&C systems in Westinghouse new-build projects worldwide.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering instrumentation and control systems (I&C) engineers have decades of experience supporting power generation, oil & gas, and industrial infrastructure projects. Westinghouse provides a wide range of services for integrated, comprehensive solutions for small minor modifications up to and including large, complex component replacements and plant-wide modification projects.
Background A 1992 Electric Power Research Institute study identified nuclear instrumentation and control (I&C) systems as major contributors to plant operating and maintenance (O&M) costs as well as the leading cause of licensee event reports.
Westinghouse’s Integral Fuel Burnable Absorber (IFBA) fuel pellet has revolutionized PWR nuclear reactor fuel management loading patterns and has enabled highly improved fuel cycle economics. Westinghouse is now building on the success of our flagship IFBA product with IFBA/Gad hybrid fuel assemblies that facilitate longer (24-month ) cycles while providing similarly improved fuel cycle cost (FCC) savings.
Background During a severe accident or a beyond-design-basis accident (BDBA), the reaction of water with zirconium alloy fuel cladding, radiolysis of water, molten coriumconcrete interaction (MCCI) and post-accident corrosion can generate hydrogen (H2). The total mass of H2 produced in-vessel depends on several factors. For most reactors, it is on the order of 1,000 kilograms. High peak rates for H2 release to the containment of up to several kg/s can result from discontinuous releases from the reactor pressure vessel. The detonation of H2 can result in damage to structures such as containment buildings or spent fuel buildings. In all reactor designs, H2 monitors can be utilized to monitor the risk of containment or spent fuel building damage due to H2 detonations.
Westinghouse is uniquely qualified to perform turn-key services utilizing its OEM experience, state-of-the-art technology and skilled workforce to help utilities successfully complete outage campaigns. We have excelled in performing these services for over 40 years, on five continents, resulting in top-quartile performance for our clients. Together, we have achieved safe operations, extended component life, and maximized power output.
Westinghouse Electric Company has extensive experience in developing and successfully deploying computerized procedure systems worldwide. The Interactive Work Management System (IWMS) integrates field application of the computerized procedure system with a powerful work management integration platform.
Nuclear utilities have a need to decontaminate hot spots and small systems/components at a reasonable price. Westinghouse is addressing this need by developing a variety of chemical decontamination processes and delivery systems. In addition to Westinghouse’s standard system decontamination and full-system decontamination, its lineup of decontamination equipment/services now includes:
An internal flooding (IF) risk assessment refers to the quantitative probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) treatment of flooding as a result of pipe and tank breaks inside the plants, as well as from other recognized flood sources. The industry consensus standard for Internal Events Probabilistic Risk Assessment (American Society of Mechanical Engineers/American Nuclear Society [ASME/ANS] RA-Sa-2009) includes high-level and supporting technical requirements for developing an internal flooding PRA (IF-PRA).
Westinghouse’s bulk supply program has one main goal; to save our customers time and money. Rather than purchasing one item at a time, let our team of experts design a bulk solution for your needs. Our dedicated team of engineers, supply chain specialists and technicians create made-to-order kits designed to reduce processing and handling time, overhaul duration and inventory at site.
Westinghouse continues to develop its next-generation, medium-capacity nuclear power plant based on lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology. The delivery of commercially competitive, reliable, zero-emission clean and sustainable energy, with unparalleled safety and flexible operations, are Westinghouse’s key goals.
With nuclear power plants (NPPs) extending their licenses, there is a large backlog of work that must be performed prior to entering the period of extended operation. After the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) grants a plant a new license, the plant must fulfill a significant number of commitments before entering the period of extended operation. To satisfy all the commitments, many smaller tasks must be completed. Reductions in staff and a subsequent loss of experience are issues when completing the required commitments.
A loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) is an inadvertent loss of inventory from the primary side of the reactor coolant system (RCS).
Pellet clad interaction (PCI) is a serious concern for operation of nuclear power plants under transient conditions such as those that occur during startup, temporary down power for maintenance activities, load follow or dropped rod recovery. Under these conditions, fuel failure can occur if the core is ramped too quickly. However, the definition of “too quickly” depends on fuel operating history; thus, if a single “rule of thumb” ramp rate is used it will be necessarily conservative and the plant will be delayed in getting maximum power on to the grid.
Pumped Thermal Energy Storage (PTES): Engineered to Fill the LDES Gap to Enable the Global Energy Transition.
To keep your plant operating for the long-term, you need to think beyond the problems of today. To empower your colleagues, your neighbors and your community to reach your net-zero goals, you need strategic solutions that will elevate your capabilities for whatever comes next. Your organization must make critical investment decisions based on a variety of factors – from economic, infrastructure and material to social and political conditions. But to keep your plant running successfully into the future, you need more than an investment plan – you need a partner.
The increased focus on probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) and risk-informed applications by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has led utilities to expand their PRA model update efforts. Their efforts have initially focused on updating the Level 1 and Level 2 PRA models for the internally initiated events.
Chemical decontamination is routinely performed to remove activated corrosion products from boiling water reactor (BWR) plant piping while simultaneously reducing plant dose rates. This process was developed for commercial use in the early 1980s, and has since been successfully applied by Westinghouse to more than 300 BWR system decontaminations.
Westinghouse has extensive global experience in the design, licensing, construction supervision and operational support of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste management facilities. The types of facilities that process both low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste typically must meet two fundamental objectives: providing immediate and deferred protection for both people and the environment and allowing the site to eventually be used freely and without radiological limitations. Westinghouse design for the disposal process is based on a multiple-barriers system that accomplishes both objectives.
At its nuclear parts operations shop in New Stanton, Pennsylvania (USA), Westinghouse provides full machine shop capabilities, offering both computer numerically controlled (CNC) and manual machine lathes as well as vertical milling machines (two-axis and three-axis CNC machining). The full-time tool and die makers who operate the machine shop have a combined 250 years of experience and can accommodate prototyping, one-piece runs and both low- and high-quantity production runs. The Westinghouse machine shop is certified for American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) machining.
Control Room Annunciators are an integral part of a nuclear plant’s main control room that alert operations staff visually and audibly when an abnormal plant condition occurs. Annunciator systems in today’s operating fleet are often original plant equipment facing mechanical fatigue (aging), component obsolescence, and limited flexibility to incorporate modern approaches to plant operations.
Westinghouse has developed a modular approach to designing custom main control rooms (MCRs) as part of an instrumentation and control (I&C) system modernization program for new plant designs. The MCR modernization program comprises the human systems interface (HSI) building blocks to modernize an MCR, as well as the integration of standard, software-based HSI resources using the building-block approach. Examples of MCR configurations are based on this approach, which supports new plant construction and existing plant modernizations.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering mechanical engineers have decades of experiences providing support to a wide range of engineering activities at power generation, oil & gas, and industrial infrastructure projects. Westinghouse provides a wide range of services for integrated, comprehensive projects from minor modifications to complex component replacements and plant-wide modifications.
The ability to measure is critical to the successful execution of any kind of project. Work of any kind requires precise measurement systems to provide repeatable, accurate measurements. Westinghouse, through its welding and machining group of companies, understands the importance of this need, and offers a wide array of metrology services.
XProtect Corporate is IP video management software (VMS) designed for large-scale, highsecurity installations that demand situation awareness of any event and uninterrupted access to live or recorded video. Providing endto-end protection of video integrity, while maximizing hardware performance, Xprotect Corporate uses its central management platform, built-in video wall and support for failover recording servers to provide an integrated and flexible video management system.
The nuclear industry continues to experience significant pressure to reduce costs, yet the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants requires well-trained, highly competent staff. Research evidence from Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) science can improve the efficiency of nuclear industry training practices; but, instructors and instructional designers must first understand these findings to align content and instruction with how people learn most effectively and efficiently.
Westinghouse offers innovative solutions to meet customer’s decontamination and effluent waste treatment needs.
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of nuclear steam supply systems poses a significant problem for the nuclear industry.
Supercompaction is a proven and effective technology for volume reduction of nearly all the different kinds of solid radioactive waste such as metals, electronic parts, small equipment, piping, plastics, insulation material, filters, dried resin, sludge and asphalt. Westinghouse mobile supercompactors have been in worldwide operation since 1985. The supercompactor allows reliable and proven volume reduction as a mobile solution. The supercompactor provides customers with cost- effective, flexible and independent campaign planning and optimum space management on their sites, for both equipment and waste volume.
Westinghouse, through its subsidiary PaR Nuclear, Inc., has developed a packaged solution to modernize obsolete and aging motion systems using Schneider Electric Altivar motor drive technology. This design has undergone extensive testing and is now available so that customer equipment operates reliably and predictably.
Network Management Service (NMS), combined with the Westinghouse Technology Upgrade and Maintenance Service and the customer’s HP maintenance agreement, provides dependable computing capabilities — a necessity for engineers performing reload designs or continually monitoring core performance.
The Westinghouse Next-Generation Rod Cluster Control Assembly (NG-RCCA™) has been developed to provide further performance enhancements and increased longevity of the control rod assembly. The NG-RCCA builds upon proven and reliable Enhanced-Performance Rod Cluster Control Assembly (EP-RCCA™) design, which has had a service history of more than 30 years and more than 3,000 assemblies delivered globally to a wide variety of plants designs.
The Westinghouse Solution Westinghouse’s patent-pending NextGEN RPI design offers a cost-effective solution to resolve all Analog Rod Position Indication (ARPI) shortcomings and provide a simplified upgrade solution for ARPI and Digital Rod Position Indication (DRPI) plants.
The Westinghouse Advanced Nodal Code (ANC) is a highly accurate and efficient two-energy group, three-dimensional (3D) core simulator code. It uses the nodal expansion method for the nodal coupling coefficient, a group theory for pin power recovery, and the equivalence theory for homogenization.
Westinghouse has been producing complex, high integrity equipment at our Nuclear Components Manufacturing (NCM) facility in Newington, New Hampshire for over 40 years. This activity requires a robust Quality Assurance (QA) program and extensive inspection and nondestructive examination (NDE) capabilities. Let our Level II and Level III NDE Inspectors and other highly experienced personnel handle your outsourced NDE needs.
Background Westinghouse maintains responsibility for the final safety analysis report (FSAR), and nonloss- of-coolant accident (LOCA) analyses for numerous Westinghouse-, Combustion Engineering- (CE-) and non Westinghousedesigned plants worldwide, including the System-80+ and the Westinghouse AP1000™ plant designs.
Operation of a nuclear power plant requires an accurate and robust safety analysis. New regulatory requirements, advancements in fuel designs, plant upgrades supporting long-term operations and license extensions drive the need for advanced safety analysis codes and methods.
Background With more than 30 years of extensive nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) non-loss-of coolant accident (LOCA) safety analysis experience, Westinghouse is at the forefront of developing and maintaining state-oftheart methods. Westinghouse now offers a non-LOCA safety analysis methodology and technical transfer package that incorporates the RETRAN-02 computer code with Westinghouse software (FACTRAN, TWINKLE, OPTOAX), along with a set of analysis methods approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Westinghouse is a global leader in the supply and support of nuclear plant instrumentation and control (I&C) upgrades, engineering services, plant modernizations and new plant design. The Westinghouse Nuclear Automation product portfolio covers all areas of system operation over the life of the plant. Products include instrumentation, safety systems, control systems, plant information systems, diagnostics and monitoring systems, engineering services for functional upgrades, control system analysis and optimization, and operating margin recovery.
Westinghouse’s Nuclear Component Repair Center (NCRC) in Madison, Pennsylvania (USA), provides the nuclear industry access to the most experienced quality and safety-conscious resources for pump, motor and component engineering and repair services. The NCRC has a large and well-equipped repair machine shop for working on contaminated equipment and supporting a full scope of services.
Protecting personnel, the public and the environment from radioactive materials requires an in‑depth knowledge of design, fabrication, examination and testing, as well as application of the most stringent quality assurance programs. This knowledge is best gained from experience.
Westinghouse core designers spend considerable time and effort developing high-performing loading patterns (LPs). However, redesigns are sometimes necessary, and even well-designed loading patterns can be adversely affected by fuel issues. When this occurs, months worth of design effort must be compressed into weeks or even days. Utilities can incur substantial costs waiting for a new loading pattern to be developed, analyzed and verified before continuing with the reload.
Over the past 40 years, Westinghouse educational specialists and subject matter experts have provided training in fuel, services, technology, plant design and equipment to utility and industrial customers in the worldwide commercial nuclear electric power industry. Our passion for the nuclear industry, its plants and its people allow Westinghouse to leverage learning for global success by developing relationships that allow a better understanding of utility cultures which, in turn, results in nuclear safety and performance improvement.
In today’s competitive environment, utility employees must maintain high safety standards while achieving economic efficiency. It is imperative that utilities reduce plant operating and maintenance costs, minimize fuel costs and achieve the greatest return on advanced technology investments, while maintaining safety. To achieve this difficult balance, utility engineers must have a thorough understanding of nuclear fuel design methods and plant operating requirements. Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Training Services can help utility personnel meet these needs by offering catalog courses and developing special customized courses.
Nuclear power plants that are no longer operating due to economic factors, licensing issues, end-of-life components or other reasons are candidates for decommissioning and dismantling (D&D), followed by site restoration.
Westinghouse is best positioned to design and deliver customized services using resins, for various applications, on nuclear sites. Resins are highly adaptable to specific customer needs.
Around the globe, utilities need a better, smarter way to make informed decisions: ones that minimize outages, lower costs, increase energy output and broaden profit margins. With Westinghouse’s OptiLife™ Service Center, our dedicated experts make data-driven management more efficient — and effective — than ever.
Optimized ZIRLO™ High-performance Fuel Cladding Material represents an evolutionary development of Westinghouse’s ZIRLO® High-performance Fuel Cladding Material.
The Westinghouse Solution INPO IER 21-4 recommends the implementation of a sustainable parts quality process that considers an item’s consequences of failure or degradation to address a steady trend of equipment-related consequential events in the industry. The Westinghouse Parts Quality Program (PQP) was developed under our world-class Quality Program and leverages Westinghouse’s extensive nuclear plant component and system knowledge, parts engineering expertise and specialized testing capabilities to deliver on the INPO Parts Quality Recommendation. The 100,000 sq. ft. Westinghouse Parts Business technical center in New Stanton, PA (USA) is fully equipped and ready to supply original Westinghouse parts in line with your site Parts Quality Initiative.
Industry studies indicate that the reactor pressure vessel may be a limiting component with respect to attaining the desired life and life extension (i.e., long-term operation/subsequent [second] license renewal [LTO/SLR]) for many nuclear power plants. The primary reactor vessel life attainment issue is concerned with the prevention of nonductile failure of the reactor vessel welds, which are subject to neutron radiation-induced embrittlement effects. For those vessels where this concern exists during their anticipated operational life, the implementation of neutron flux reduction programs can play a significant role in attaining desired reactor lifetimes. Because fluence impacts to these welds build up over time, effective fluence reduction requires implementing a program as early as possible to minimize the amount of incremental fluence reduction needed in each future cycle after program implementation (see graph).
The annulus gap between the reactor vessel and the containment cavity floor must be sealed to permit the flood-up required for refueling and reactor internal maintenance activities. This sealing is accomplished by installing a temporary pool seal into the annulus gap. The installation of these “temporary” seals is a critical path process that lengthens outage duration as well as increases worker exposure. These seals have also been known to experience leakage, which negatively impacts both outage and normal operation processes.
Operators of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) with reactor vessel (RV) nozzle dissimilar metal (DM) safe-end welds, which are susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking, are required to examine those welds with increased frequency unless mitigating actions are taken. Requirements for these examinations are specified in American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section XI, Code Case N-770 latest approved revision specified in 10CFR50.55a.
Westinghouse, through its welding and machining group of companies, has the technology and capability to provide safe, effective and reliable repair techniques that contribute to shorter outages. Furthermore, Westinghouse has the design engineering expertise and the technology needed to meet or exceed all code, regulatory and design requirements.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering piping analysis group has decades of experience in piping design and modification analysis in the power generation and other industrial facilities. The piping group maintains full engineering capabilities for the design and analysis in both Safety-Related and Balance of Plant applications.
Westinghouse provides Plant Licensing (PL) support to aid individual safety analyses groups in licensing activities, from preparing engineering/licensing reports to supporting Request for Additional Information (RAI) from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The Plant Process Computer system (PPC), or plant computer, is a plant-wide information system for new and retrofit plants. The PPC consists of data acquisition and presentation layer components, with configurable, reusable software programs for performing nuclear plant performance and monitoring applications. PPC uses a redundant network design with advanced connectivity features that provides high capacity data transmission and reliable external system communications via standard and custom protocols.
The plant protection system monitors plant temperatures, pressures, levels, flows and nuclear instrumentation system outputs. If these parameters exceed plant safety limits, the system issues “partial reactor trip” and “engineered safeguards” commands. The plant protection system sends isolated analog output signals to the plant control system, the data processing and monitoring system, and the main control board. It also provides alarm outputs to the plant annunciator system. The plant protection system can be supplied with an interface to the data processing and monitoring system, or implemented as a standalone upgrade to the existing plant system. When supplied with an interface, a phased approach permits small stand-alone upgrades to be eventually integrated into a total plant information network.
PaR Nuclear, a subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, provides all types and sizes of cranes for use in nuclear power plants, with particular expertise and experience in outage-critical cranes. An outage-critical crane, a polar crane or reactor building crane, is one whose performance has the potential to impact refueling outage duration.
Boiling water reactor (BWR) safety analyses capabilities can form the basis for customer success in multiple areas.
Many existing Computer-aided Fault Tree Analysis (CAFTA) and Fault Tree Reliability eXpert (FTREX)-based Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) models have been developed, expanded and updated over several years without a strong focus on the ultimate use of the models.
In 2010, an international plant was shut down due to primary coolant leakage from a serviceinduced crack in a deformed pressurizer heater well insert (HWI). Intergranular stress corrosion cracking had initiated on the outside diameter surfaces of the heater sheaths, allowing primary water to enter the heater elements. The primary water then reacted with the magnesium oxide insulation inside of the heater internals, resulting in volume increase and subsequent splitting of the heater sheaths and HWIs.
Westinghouse is uniquely positioned to help nuclear utilities implement and maintain an industry leading Preventive Maintenance Program based on its engineering expertise, data analysis capabilities, and ongoing technical support for plant maintenance and operations.
Westinghouse’s PRIME™ advanced fuel features help to improve fuel performance, enhance fuel reliability, enable better fuel cycle economics and provide additional margin at uprated conditions and higher burnup. The package of features includes an optimization of enhancements based on proven Westinghouse fuel reliability and world-class leadership in the design and manufacture of nuclear fuel. PRIME fuel features are available for the 17x17 Robust Fuel Assembly 2 (RFA-2), 17x17 Optimized Fuel Assembly (OFA) and 15x15 Upgrade Westinghouse fuel designs.
The POMS Suite is the leading software for obsolescence management in the nuclear industry, with data from 190+ worldwide nuclear units. It is a web-based software tool, that has been in operation for over 15 years, which centralizes obsolescence issue identification and solution sharing into a one standard nuclear industry platform.
POMS is a software platform with an underlying service offering that enables nuclear utilities to quickly identify obsolescence challenges and schedule impact. POMS provides potential solutions and opportunities for collaboration to solve these challenges.
As the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and risk applications quickly become part of the fabric of plant operation and licensing, the time demands on a utility’s current PRA staff are continually increasing to support workday scheduling, outage planning and emergent plant configurations.
Starting with the first commercial Westinghouse-design nuclear power plants, Westinghouse has been involved in the development of generic, as well as plant specific, guidance for response to plant events. Following the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued NUREG-0899, which provided requirements for utility preparation and implementation of emergency operating procedures (EOP), including development, writing and maintenance. This was followed by NUREG-1358, in which the NRC reinforced its expectations with respect to the plantspecific technical guidelines, EOP writers guide, EOP verification and validation (V&V) and EOP training. Together, these regulations comprise the plant-specific procedure generation package (PGP).
Westinghouse is the most trusted worldwide industry leader to provide support for all facets of pump, motor and seal field maintenance and repair activities.
Typically, pressurized water reactor (PWR) reactor internals segmentation and packaging projects include a separation of the highly activated material (that is, baffle plates, core formers, core region of the core barrel, core support plate and in-core instrumentation thimbles) from the rest of the material (that is, core barrel remnants, core support assembly, thermal shield and upper internals).
The Q-BOX is a single, easy-to-mount package that utilizes a QUESTemp-44 and a 900MHz transmitter to monitor the local environment. The QUESTemp-44 utilizes a Waterless Wet Bulb sensor designed for working environments where daily instrument upkeeping is difficult.
Operators of nuclear power plants frequently face problems that require accurate characterization and analysis of radiation. The wide-ranging difficult issues that can arise can be far beyond the scope of typical radiation analyses, such as nuclear fuel design and accident analysis services. The Westinghouse team of radiation experts can answer the tough questions on radiation analysis, and Westinghouse offers a suite of products to assist with radiation and thermal measurements.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering Radiological Engineering Analyses team is comprised of specialists with extensive technical and licensing backgrounds covering the disciplines of radiological engineering, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, and physics.
The WESDYNE® INTERNATIONAL team has proven its capability to solve the most complex and urgent inspection challenges in the nuclear industry in a safe and efficient manner.
In today’s market, the primary focus is to “do more with less.” Utilities no longer have the luxury of keeping all functions needed to run their businesses in-house. With the deregulation of the electric utility industry and the continuous push to lower costs associated with the production of electricity, many utilities need to outsource more and more of the functions they once performed themselves to remain competitive. As the foremost nuclear service supplier, Westinghouse offers a comprehensive, costeffective solution to a utility’s long-term viability.
Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of Alloy 600 materials and instrument nozzle Alloy 182/82 welds has become a top industry concern for PWR plants. PWSCC has produced significant losses in power generation and attracted considerable regulatory attention. There are many locations within the reactor coolant pressure boundary (RCPB) that can contain Alloy 600 base metal or weld metal that can be susceptible to PWSCC over time. Additionally, previously replaced instrument nozzles may also leak due to weld flaws.
During the life of a nuclear power plant, more than just routine inspections of a reactor coolant pump (RCP) motor are necessary to help prevent unscheduled or extended outages. It is recommended that RCP motors be sent to a service center to be disassembled.
In addition to being the original manufacturer of reactor coolant pump (RCP) seals, Westinghouse provides full-scope seal services to the nuclear industry. From the sale of replacement seals and components, to engineering support and testing, Westinghouse is the one-stop shop for seal related needs.
The Westinghouse Sigma Reactor Coolant Pump Seal provides reliable performance and costs savings to support safe and longterm plant operation.
Westinghouse has designed, manufactured and refurbished hundreds of reactor coolant pumps (RCPs) for the global market, allowing Westinghouse to amass extensive experience and expertise in providing dependable RCPs, for the continued success of its customers. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Westinghouse maintains and has ready access to the original as-built records, which provide the resources to:
As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of RCPs, Westinghouse is uniquely qualified to provide full-scope and technical advisory service for all facets of pump and motor field maintenance and repair. With over 60 years of quality service and technological knowhow, we perform dozens of jobs for utilities worldwide each year. In addition to providing routine and full-scope services, technological expertise and customer commitment has made Westinghouse the vendor of choice in critical emergency repair situations. Field services for routine maintenance and emergency repair use the extensive resources of the Westinghouse network of pump- and motor-related facilities and personnel.
Westinghouse operates a state-of-the-art service center to perform tooling refurbishments to assist utilities with tooling maintenance. This service center is staffed with experienced full-time tooling engineers and technicians and has the equipment and mock-ups required to perform proper maintenance and functionality checks to maintain reliability during refueling outages.
Westinghouse has provided refueling training services for pressurized water reactor plants at its Waltz Mill site in Madison, Pennsylvania (USA), for more than 20 years. This training, conducted in the site’s D-bay, is intended for refueling senior reactor operators, fuel/insert movement technicians, site refueling coordinators and fuel equipment engineers. All of the training programs combine formal classroom instruction with handson lab exercises to maximize student learning and skills development. The refueling training facility at the Waltz Mill site includes a complete and fully operational array of actual refueling equipment identical to that found in a typical reactor containment structure.
The Stud and Nut Turnout System contains a stud turnout tool, a nut runner tool, a load follower, and all the necessary batteries and adaptors.
Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of Alloy 600 materials and bottom mounted instrumentation (BMI) Alloy 182/82 welds has become a top industry concern for pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants. PWSCC has produced significant availability losses and attracted considerable regulatory attention. There are many locations within the reactor coolant pressure boundary (RCPB) that contain Alloy 600 base metal or weld metal that could be susceptible to PWSCC over time.
Nuclear power plants with reactor vessel closure heads (RVCHs) containing Alloy 600 base materials and Alloy 182 weld materials are susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). In response to this concern, a number of PWR utilities have replaced their RVCHs. Replacements also provide an ideal opportunity to implement upgrades; this significantly reduces outage duration and dose, as well as addresses personnel safety issues that may exist during reactor disassembly and reassembly. To offer our customers a solution to this problem, Westinghouse has created a program to develop and implement RVCH upgrades integrated with the design and installation of a new RVCH that uses Alloy 690 and Alloy 152. Because these alloys aren’t prone to PWSCC, this is a risk- reducing option.
Background Westinghouse provides post-irradiation testing and evaluation of the reactor vessel material specimens, thermal monitors and dosimeters contained in the surveillance capsules to monitor the effects of neutron irradiation on the reactor vessel beltline materials under actual operating conditions.
The Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP) is a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-developed tool for analyzing loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) and system transients in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) or boiling water reactors (BWRs). It is a suite of codes for analyzing thermal hydraulic events using state-of-the-art two-phase flow models, which has broad capabilities in both nuclear and non-nuclear systems. RELAP5 is widely used worldwide in transient analyses for light water reactors (LWRs).
Westinghouse has an advanced, diverse and proven portfolio of products to optimize the final phase of your refueling outage. In response to industry demand to reduce cost and effort associated with low power physics testing (LPPT) – including options to eliminate explicit tests when feasible – Westinghouse has developed new approaches to core design validation following refueling, adding to its reliable, world-class LPPT technology and services based on the Dynamic Rod Worth Measurement (DRWM™) technique. The Alternate Rod Worth Verification (ARWV) methodology and Subcritical Physics Testing (SPT) leverage aspects of Westinghouse’s extensive prior LPPT methods and experience to provide customers with a full range of advanced solutions to support post-reload startup test requirements.
Remediation planning is a critical event at the end of life for a nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) “Integrated Approach to Planning the Remediation of Sites Undergoing Decommissioning, “(IAEA NW-T-3.3) report outlines a broad spectrum of considerations associated with this activity. Westinghouse has a range of remediation experience with plant sites, facilities and uranium mines and mills both privately and nationally owned.
Westinghouse provides remote robotic cavity cleaning services to reduce personnel radiation exposure and risks, human performance errors, source term and critical path schedule.
When it is not possible to perform a metallographic examination by taking a sample directly from a part to be checked, an investigation can be performed through a replica process. After a proper surface preparation, cellulose acetate sheets are used to make a copy or “replica” of the microstructure of the metal surface to be examined.
The eVinci™ Microreactor's innovative design combines new technology advancements with 70+ years of commercial nuclear design and engineering, creating a cost-competitive and resilient source of zero-emissions power with superior reliability and minimal maintenance.
The mobile reverse osmosis (RO) system was developed to address waste reduction following advanced scale conditioning agent (ASCA) applications. Coupling Westinghouse RO waste reduction with ASCA applications allows customers to meet their steam generator cleaning and waste reduction needs through a single service provider.
Westinghouse has more than 40 years of experience in design and manufacture of nuclear fuel assemblies that help utilities achieve exceptional fuel reliability and performance in today’s operating and commercial environment. The 17x17 robust fuel assembly (RFA-2) has demonstrated excellent fuel performance worldwide.
西屋电气公司在核燃料组件的设计及制造方面拥有40 多年丰富经验,在当今的电厂运行和商务环境中,这 些丰富经验及燃料设计可以帮助核电厂实现卓越的燃料可靠 性及性能。坚固的 17x17 燃料组件 (RFA-2) 已经 在世界范围内展示出非凡的燃料性能。
Westinghouse drives the global risk industry in delivering well-documented Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) models that effectively balance detail, execution time and the required engineering skill necessary to effectively interpret and communicate the risk insights derived from these models.
The key purpose of an in-service inspection (ISI) is to identify a flaw before it becomes a structural failure. In general, inspections have historically been performed based on such mandated requirements as those for nuclear power plant components in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, insurance requirements or company policy.
For the past 10 years, the nuclear industry and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have been working together to develop Risk-informed Technical Specifications (RITS) to enhance plant safety and improve plant operations. Of the eight initiatives set forth by the partnership, many are currently available for plant implementation. The remaining initiatives will be available in the near future.
For the past 15 years, the nuclear industry and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have been working together to develop Risk-informed Technical Specifications (RITS) to enhance plant safety and improve plant operations. Following analysis and methodology development by the industry and subsequent approval by the U.S. NRC, the initiatives set forth by this partnership are now essentially complete and are available for plant implementation. The implementation of the initiatives is facilitated by the Technical Specification Task Force travelers (TSTFs).
For the past 15 years, the nuclear industry and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have been working together to develop Risk-informed Technical Specifications (RITS) to enhance plant safety and improve plant operations.
Our telemetry monitoring software package provides an easy to use, reliable, comprehensive monitoring solution for radiological safety monitoring activities. The program suite includes system administrative features for configuration and setup in addition to telemetry viewing programs: RMS Table and RMS View.
The Dose & Air Activity Check Point displays real time radiological data in an easy to view format on a mobile all-in-one system display. Westinghouse’s RMS software runs the application on the built-in PC and connects to area monitors and/or air activity monitors via wired or wireless connection.
Reactor Vessel Closure Head (RVCH) disassembly and reassembly activities are major considerations when it comes to a refueling outage’s critical path schedule, personnel radiation exposure, critical containment resources, foreign material exclusion (FME) control, personnel safety and cost. Ductwork associated with the cooling of the control rod/element drive mechanisms has to be disassembled every outage and then reassembled again prior to start up. To help our customers improve this process, Westinghouse offers a solution that reduces outage duration, polar crane dependency, personnel risk, dose and overall manhours.
Designed as a diagnostic planning tool, Westinghouse’s Secondary Side Condition Monitoring and Operational Assessment (SS-CMOA) is a living document that evaluates the secondary side of the steam generator (SG) and interfacing systems.
The Westinghouse Double Encapsulated Secondary Source Assemblies (SSAs) were developed to provide an adequate source of neutrons for reload core fuel movement reactivity monitoring and subsequent cycle startups while further protecting the source material from erosion to the primary coolant system. The double encapsulated SSA design is the direct result of Westinghouse applying knowledge learned from over 4500 reactor-years of operational performance experience of the previous single encapsulated SSA design
For decades, Westinghouse has been supporting the nuclear industry as a full-scope seismic probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) provider, offering capabilities ranging from risk-analysis and risk-informed applications, new plant licensing and Post-Fukushima requirments.
Following the Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) developed a plan (NUREG-1050 – August 1985) to resolve the severe accident generic issue. This plan identified that utility commitment to excellence in risk management, including prevention and mitigation, is key to protection of public health and safety; it also identified the need for new severe accident research.
Westinghouse developed the SHIELD® passive thermal shutdown seal as a passive means of protecting the reactor core. It prevents a loss of reactor coolant system (RCS) water inventory should an event occur that causes a loss of all seal cooling. The SHIELD passive thermal shutdown seal is proven to significantly reduce or eliminate leakage from the reactor coolant pump (RCP) seal with no operator action, power or control logic required.
Industry studies indicate that the reactor pressure vessel may be a limiting component with respect to attaining the desired life and life extension, i.e., Long Term Operation (LTO) / Subsequent (Second) License Renewal (SLR), for many nuclear power plants. The primary reactor vessel life attainment issue is concerned with the prevention of non-ductile failure of the reactor vessel welds, which is subject to neutron radiation-induced embrittlement effects.
Reactor head disassembly and reassembly activities are major considerations when it comes to the refueling outage critical path schedule, personnel radiation exposure, critical containment resources, personnel safety and cost. The Westinghouse integrated head package (IHP) is an enhanced equipment design that offers a significant improvement in outage time. The IHP includes features specifically designed to reduce the efforts associated with disassembling and reassembling the reactor head in support of plant refueling.
Solving corrosion-related issues is a major challenge for the worldwide ageing fleet of nuclear power plants, looking for LTO (long-term operation). While utilities can proceed to replacements for many pipes affected by corrosion, a replacement strategy is not always possible. Other maintenance solutions are required for inaccessible or embedded pipes. Moreover, for those pipes which cannot be replaced, internal inspection and corrosion removal become an even greater technical challenge if the pipe’s diameter is small and when the remote access to the zone of interest requires to travel through bended sections and elbows.
Socket welds are used in numerous applications throughout the nuclear industry and due to the unique configuration, size and other limitations, ultrasonic inspection can be challenging. Westinghouse Inspection Services has the equipment, qualifications, and personnel to perform socket weld inspections for the thermal and vibration fatigue degradation mechanism. Even a slight stress flaw is detectable with the help of Westinghouse’s experience and advanced technology.
As nuclear power plants are reaching 50-year milestones, the aging of system components needs to be considered – including those that are part of a Solid State Protection System (SSPS).
Westinghouse has developed new printed circuit cards for use in the solid state protection system (SSPS). The replacement printed circuit cards are the same in form, fit and function as the original cards, but also address obsolescence of the Motorola High Threshold Logic (MHTL) devices, which are designed to enhance reliability and include improvements for maintenance.
Westinghouse’s has several hundred Specialists and Subject Matter Experts (SME) many of which are nationally recognized experts who support a broad client base to resolve emergent technical issues. Our SME’s provide expert advice, analyses and or engineering and design to implement plant modifications or resolve or improve plant performance issues.
Westinghouse provides full-scope structural capability, including seismic and dynamic analysis and design to address utility needs for both nuclear safety-related and conventional industrial buildings and structures.
Westinghouse provides implementation of schedule/quality-critical mechanical projects and specialty welding applications for power facilities.
Westinghouse is a market leader in providing services and technology to utility customers who are managing their independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI). ISFSI operations and canister-loading campaigns continue to be low margin for error for operating utilities and will remain as challenging for end of life plants. Westinghouse has a response to meet this challenge.
Over decades of operation, foreign material accumulates under the spent fuel pool storage racks, creating increased dose rates and operational challenges. This material can be in the form of particulate/sludge like material as well as foreign objects. Foreign material can be disturbed by water motion caused by fuel handling and spent fuel pool filtration. Water disturbance affects pool clarity and visibility, increasing the potential for human performance issues, schedule delays, and fuel damage.
Owners need augmented technical and managerial support from time to time to support both planned projects and emergent plant issue(s). Staff or management augmentation support to our clients can take various forms and can accommodate diverse options unique to the client’s organization and situational needs.
Working in both union and non-union environments, Westinghouse Staffing Solutions provides staff augmentation, managed services, direct placement, payrolling and seconded services for a full range of talent acquisition workforce solutions.
"Our standard inspections provide robust and precise solutions. We also are able to adapt to changing outage schedules through our access to more than 80 NDE qualified individuals trained for nuclear site work globally. We use experienced people and also have a strong internal development process.
Westinghouse offers steam generator (SG) engineering services in the areas of component design and analysis, chemistry, diagnostics, and materials engineering, with the mission to: Provide engineering solutions that extend the life of the SGs, optimize plant performance and reduce the overall cost to maintain SGs, while meeting regulatory requirements. Integrate engineering with field services to provide coordinated inspection, repair and engineering services to optimize performance and extend the life of the SGs. Provide best-practice engineering analyses in support of plant performance improvement programs. Apply leading-edge technology to support utility asset management programs. Provide industry licensing leadership through development of low-risk licensing strategies.
Steam generator (SG) primary side services include a complete range of primary side maintenance and repair services to support utility SG management programs. Our fullscope integrated service capabilities have been proven to significantly reduce outage durations, minimize radiation exposures and deliver high-quality results. In addition, the unique specialty services we offer have established our product portfolio as the broadest in the industry.
Secondary side tube deposits can have an adverse effect on steam generator (SG) operation. Unless properly maintained, SGs can be subject to performance degradation as a result of tubing corrosion and steam pressure reduction.
Westinghouse’s steam generator (SG) secondary side services include a complete range of inspection, maintenance and cleaning services to provide customers with options to best meet their long-term strategic goals for SG performance and integrity.
Compaction is a viable treatment technology for volume reduction of various waste streams, including activated metals, glasses, contaminated solids, plastics, small equipment and tools, filters, compactable trash, wood, pipes, sludge and asphalt. Westinghouse-design supercompactors have been in operation since 1982 in the United States and in other countries.
Our customers’ number one challenge is to reduce the risk of fuel failures. This challenge became the main objective for the developers of the SVEA-96 Optima3 fuel assembly design, which combines debris resistance with a simplified mechanical design. This new product is a giant step towards flawless fuel performance.
Background S3 is an integrated Westinghouse I&C technical support program through which our customers are provided with access to platform and application-specific Subject Matter Experts (SME) who can quickly respond to emergent I&C issues, as well as address long-term system planning and performance objectives.
Virtually all nuclear utilities are facing ever-increasing personnel and financial pressures. The aging work force and demand for talent from regulators and new nuclear plants are creating skill gaps. Financial pressures are increasing in today’s sluggish economy, forcing utilities to optimize the size and skill sets of their staffs.
Westinghouse has developed state-of-the art nuclear fuel codes and methods, and through superior training and documentation, is capable of effectively delivering them to Westinghouse licensees worldwide. Westinghouse fuel technology consists of its design codes, procedural manuals to guide the designer in applying the methodology, and training, an essential element of successful and effective technology licensing. Throughout the year, the Westinghouse Technology Upgrade and Maintenance Service provides plant operators and fuel vendors with the latest versions of codes and improvements in methodology.
Westinghouse has developed a comprehensive program tailored to complement plant systems for decay heat removal during outages. The program has integrated engineering excellence with complete solutions to address specific issues.
The Westinghouse BOP and Design Engineering Thermal-Hydraulic Engineering and Safety Analyses team is comprised of specialists with extensive technical and licensing background covering the disciplines of heat transfer, fluid flow, nuclear engineering, and mechanical engineering. Most of the engineers have over 30 years of experience in the nuclear power industry and were part of the Balance-of-Plant (BOP) Architect Engineering (AE) teams that were responsible for putting numerous nuclear power plants online.
Reactor Pressure Vessel Head (RPVH) Thermal Sleeve (TS) flange wear failure is a known ageing phenomenon on PWR plants. Westinghouse offers a direct visual inspection system capable of accurately assessing Thermal Sleeve and adaptor wear, as well as locating any flange debris in the adaptor housing. The inspection tools are delivered by a tool carrier for an ALARA-optimized inspection.
In response to the events at Fukushima Daiichi, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an interim staff guidance document (JLDISG-2012-01) that places increasing emphasis on analysis of external events including high winds. Additionally, the U.S. NRC issued Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2015-06, “Tornado Missile Protection,” that addresses conformance to a plant’s current site-specific licensing basis for tornado-generated missiles and notes its acceptance of License Amendment Requests using probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodologies and computer tools to simulate tornado-generated missiles.
The TracWorks® fuel data management system is a source of comprehensive, and integrated fuel and component-related information for a nuclear plant’s operators, engineers and administrators. The TracWorks system provides life-cycle tracking, data management and reporting for all fuel assemblies or bundles and components for both pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) units.
TRACWORKS® 燃料数据管理系统为核电站操作人员、工程师及管理人员提供有关燃料及组件的全面、最新和综合性信息。TRACWORKS 系统可以提供压水堆 (PWR) 及沸水堆 (BWR) 设备所有燃料组件或棒束以及堆芯组件的生命周期跟踪、数据管理和报表。
Today’s Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Control Rod Blades (CRBs) must meet the highest-ever operational demands while contributing to reduced operational costs for the plant operator.
Westinghouse has developed common turbine control solutions for pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs). The highly reliable Westinghouse turbine control protection system (TCPS) provides redundant control functions such as speed and overspeed control, load control, steam pressure control, valve testing, frequency control and turbine protection. The base control system can easily be expanded to provide additional functionality such as automatic turbine startup (ATS), moisture separator reheat (MSR) and the generator monitoring and turbine protection system (TPS).
Nuclear power plant uprating is a timely and cost-effective way to provide incremental electric generation. Westinghouse has successfully implemented more than 150 plant upratings, providing more than 5000 MWe of additional power generation worldwide.
Westinghouse Electric Company continues to lead the way in the treatment of uranium-bearing residues, using several large-scale global facilities with a diverse range of capabilities to process hundreds of residue types. As a fuel manufacturer, Westinghouse has the ability to recycle uranium and return it to the fuel cycle.
The goal of Valve Program Management (VPM) is to maintain the safety-related and important-to-safety-related valves’ reliability so that they can perform the design basis requirements for the life of the plant. While this may be simply stated, the actual management and implementation of the program is a complex and comprehensive task that, if performed effectively, results in increases in both plant reliability and capacity factors.
As a full-service integrated valve and actuator maintenance company, Westinghouse performs preventative and predictive maintenance services and diagnostic testing on valves and actuators of all manufacturing types. We leverage our industry-recognized training programs, integrated project management approach and our First-Time Quality process to ensure that our customers’ most complex valve projects are completed on time and on schedule.
Westinghouse Parts Business maintains the expertise and brings industry-proven teaming partners together to provide utilities with turn-key valve asset management solutions including spare parts fulfillment, custom parts kits, reverse engineering, repair, and replacement valve assemblies for code, safety and non-safety related applications.
The VCOM virtual matrix software solution provides the capability for any desktop computer with a headset to communicate with all your communication devices – wireless intercoms, (RADs, HME, Pliant, Tempest, and Telex), speaker stations, SIP speaker stations, analog phones, 2- way radios, etc
The lower canopy seal Weld is a weld between the reactor vessel head control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) latch housing and the reactor vessel head (RVH) penetration adapter. This weld has a tendency to develop cracks as a result of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and/or original weld defects. These cracks spread through the walls and create leakage.
Westinghouse core design and safety analysis capabilities for VVER reactors lead to customer success in multiple areas. Examples include fuel and core designs, supporting power uprate projects, plant optimization projects, design reconstitution, modernization projects, safety upgrades, cycle-specific analyses, fuel licensing calculations and operational support.
The Robust Westinghouse Fuel Assembly (RWFA) design has rapidly become the Westinghouse standard fuel product for the VVER-1000 units in Ukraine. The RWFA design is an evolution of Westinghouse's previous VVER-1000 fuel design, WFA, which was first introduced as Lead Test Assemblies in South Ukraine Unit 3 in 2005.
As the licensee and asset owner, Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC (WEC) has performed the role of designing, managing and completing the decommissioning of the test reactor, several reactor support buildings and impacted soil areas at the Waltz Mill Site (WMS).
Westinghouse has proven expertise in the field of active waste handling, transport and storage. We are committed to developing custom designs and equipment to address the unique and challenging needs of our customers. We have a wealth of experience in the area of high-level waste vitrification, filtration, decontamination, , shielding, packaging and handling. Equipment operation in these radioactive environments demands extreme reliability and ease of maintenance.
Treatment of radioactive waste into acceptable forms for storage or disposal is mandatory for waste producers. Waste from operating nuclear facilities and/or a decommissioning and decontamination (D&D) activity is produced in various forms (e.g., liquid, solid, gas) and thus requires different treatment to transfer it into acceptable waste forms.
Westinghouse Electric Company now offers access to the largest state-of-the-art water jet machining center in the Northeastern United States, providing clients with a faster cutting solution for a wide array of material types, sizes and thicknesses. Customers can now have their large or difficult projects completed in a fraction of the time and cost.
Westinghouse has performed loss of coolant accident mass and energy release calculations (LOCA M&E calculations) for nearly 40 years. Westinghouse has significantly improved its capabilities with the development of the WCOBRA/TRAC LOCA M&E methodology.
Background Westinghouse is known around the world for game-changing technologies and innovation. We are maintaining that legacy today by making notable strides in the research, development and implementation of advanced manufacturing solutions for the nuclear industry. With these advanced technologies, Westinghouse is developing new products and services to provide innovative solutions for our customers. These technologies are driven by safety, quality and manufacturing excellence, and are resulting in lead-time and manufacturing cost reductions.
Westinghouse has provided training services for boiling water reactor (BWR) plants since 1980. These training programs combine formal classroom instruction with hands-on lab exercises to maximize student learning and skills development
Many nuclear utilities installed their post-accident monitoring instrumentation using technology from the late 1970s and early 1980s. In this rapidly changing technological environment, component obsolescence and ever increasing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs are a growing concern. To address this, Westinghouse is pleased to offer a modernized PAMS using its common qualified (Common Q™) platform.
With one of the largest safety-related installed bases in the world, the Westinghouse Common Qualified — or Common Q™ — safety-grade instrumentation and control (I&C) platform is approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other nuclear regulators worldwide for both new plant build applications and operating plant safety system upgrades. The Common Q platform is safe, reliable, easy to service and supported for long-term operations.
Westinghouse’s Waltz Mill Shop and Service Center is dedicated to providing customers with a high level of excellence when it comes to refurbishing rotating equipment components. Integrated in these shop operations is a contaminated machine shop with capabilities to refurbish contaminated and/or safety-related nuclear plant equipment.
In 2012, U.S. Congress issued a directive for the development of Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) in response to the unprecedented tsunami in Japan that led to complications at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. ATF products are designed to enhance performance and increase safety under accident conditions. Westinghouse leads one of three industry teams supporting this directive. Congressional funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has enabled progress through Phase 2C (Development).
Nuclear plants throughout the world are looking to implement Flexible Power Operation (FPO) as a way to remain competitive in global energy markets, especially as we continue to see a significant increase in renewable energy. These new load cycles are different from the historic demand cycles assumed in the original plant design. The transition to FPO could result in effects to the plant and its fuel, Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) and Balance of Plant (BOP).
Westinghouse Electric Company is a world leader in the development and commercialization of nuclear power plants, with 70+ years of successful global experience in turning nuclear technologies from design to commercial products, globally.
The Westinghouse engineers, technicians and staff who specialize in evaluations through laboratory testing of irradiated and non-irradiated materials provide experimental evidence to support materials and processing solutions for its customers while supporting industry technical initiatives.
The Westinghouse Customer Training Website is a portal to the extensive catalog of training programs offered by Westinghouse. The Website provides customers with a streamlined process for identifying and registering for scheduled courses. Westinghouse offers customized and on-site courses to meet individualized training needs.
Westinghouse has developed advanced fuel assembly features and supporting PWR core component products to improve fuel performance, enhance fuel cycle economics and support extended (24-month) cycle length operation. One such PWR core component is a Wet Annular Burnable Absorber (WABA) assembly, a discrete burnable absorber component used in some WNSSS reactor core fuel cycle loading strategies.
WINCISE™ (Westinghouse In-Core Information Surveillance & Engineering) is an operational support system that uses Westinghouse technology licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to obtain an accurate, continuous core power distribution measurement.