Rod Control Working Group
Mission
The mission of the PWROG Rod Control Working Group (RCWG) is to provide a forum for the identification and resolution of generic Rod Control and Indication issues for Combustion Engineering (CE), Westinghouse, and Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) plants. Activities of the RCWG Working Group may encompass, but are not limited to:
- Rod Control and Indication systems equipment reliability improvements
- Rod Control systems obsolescence, including programs focused on maintaining existing systems, and programs to evaluate or develop alternatives
- Systems performance enhancements including digital upgrades
Value
The RCWG is an industry leader in addressing many of the plant reliability challenges for vintage Rod Control Systems, as well as vintage Rod Position Indication Systems. The RCWG meeting provides a forum through which many system equipment reliability improvements and single point vulnerability (SPV) mitigation strategies have been developed, critical OE presented, and best-practice preventative maintenance distributed and discussed. Plants which play an active role in the RCWG have seen measurable improvements in system reliability (e.g., reduction of dropped rod events, emergent corrective maintenance activities, and inadvertent reactor trips).
The RCWG covers equipment reliability initiatives, emergent technical issues, new best maintenance practices, and lessons learned associated with recent operating experience. The primary objective is to provide a forum that allows plant personnel from PWROG member plants and the OEM to resolve technical issues, promote equipment reliability improvement initiatives, and exchange in-depth information.
