The Parts Quality Initiative (PQI) provided by Exelon PowerLabs (EPL) has been available to the industry for the past 16 years.  Development of the USA project plan is for each of the members to asses their parts risk and determine if they should proceed with identification and testing of critical parts to prevent parts quality field failures from impacting equipment reliability and provide tremendous benefit and savings for the USA members.

USA contracted with Exelon PowerLabs in 2019 for numerous services including calibration, failure analysis, chemical/oil analysis, and PQI.  EPL is providing each of the USA plants a unique opportunity at no cost to the members by providing detailed analysis of each plants Industry Reporting and Information System (IRIS) reports submitted to INPO for the past five years.  Parts Quality Field Failures (PQFF) were pulled from the IRIS data submitted by the members that clearly shows there has been and most likely will continue to be impact to the members unless action is taken to mitigate the installation of substandard parts in the plants.

In addition, EPL has also provided, free of charge, the USA list of the top 10 part failures in their PQI data base that match USA inventory.  These parts have a history of failing and they are in the USA plants and inventories.  This project shall identify those parts and provide PQI parts testing opportunities to remedy, reduce, and mitigate plant transients from occurring.

The objective of the PQI project is to improve equipment reliability through strategic testing of critical parts in inventory or during procurement for each USA member.  Implementation by the members will provide a significant return on investment, improve relationships with the regulator and INPO while also improving the quality of life for their staff.  There are numerous parts in plant inventories and installed in the plants that have a proven history of failure.  Utilizing the data provided by Exelon PowerLabs, analysis, and action by the members to mitigate parts quality field failures will be the key to success.

The USA BOD approved moving forward with data analysis for phase one and phase two during the June 23 meeting.

• Phase 1
  • Currently in process – Plant staff meeting with EPL to discuss PQI benefits and receive their free PQI-IRIS report
  • Take action on the top 10 PQI most failed parts list – see phase 2
• Phase 2
  • From the IRIS and Top 10 parts list, identify specific components, critical spares, single point vulnerabilities, critical commercial parts, and inventory stock items for crossmatch against alliance inventory
  • Pilot – parts testing of the most critical Top 10 stock items

After these reviews are complete plants will determine whether to proceed with full implementation or develop site specific methodology for identification and testing of parts.  Plants will decide if they are going to utilize the USA PQI contract and sign up for a three year subscription.