USA’s Advanced Remote Monitoring (ARM) project team continues the journey to modernize costly nuclear business processes through the application of leading-edge technologies. As this initiative approaches the conclusion of its second year, notable progress has been made. The following summarizes ARM accomplishments to date:

• Luminant’s Power Optimization Center has successfully built out Advanced Monitoring and Diagnostic Services for Columbia and Susquehanna Nuclear Generating Stations consistent with the service levels being provided to Comanche Peak.
• Energy Northwest has completed engineering designs modifications and have installed additional monitoring at Columbia enabling online thermal performance analytics and large transformer monitoring. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has completed the development of intelligent algorithms aligned with IEEE Standards for monitoring transformers and are now ready for deployment at Columbia.
• Xcel Energies, in collaboration INL, has completed the first phase of data preparation for the Process Anomaly Detection algorithm. The team is now preparing to build out the algorithms based upon Phase-1 learnings and commence Beta testing at Monticello and Prairie Island over the coming year.
• Comanche Peak has established a prototyping laboratory and has begun design and development activities of four systems to be deployed in 2022:
  • Shiftly Surveillances Automation,
  • Automation of Operator Rounds,
  • Remote Radiation Area Monitoring and
  • Online Thermal Cycle Isolation Monitoring.
• INL, in collaboration with Talen, has developed several dozen intelligent fire detection algorithms to be integrated into the automated FireWatch system being developed and tested at Susquehanna.

With the success of ARM activities thus far, participants are now in the midst of pulling together a second grant application to be submitted to DOE, in April. This Phase-2 initiative expands USA member participants to include Fermi and Cooper stations. ARM Phase-2 will focus on further automating power plant monitoring and inspections through the application of drones, robotics and machine learning analytics.