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News

Omaha Public Power District
Omaha Public Power District team members at Fort Calhoun Station in Nebraska garnered the Westinghouse Combustion Engineering Design Vendor Award by looking back 10 years to determine the future of critical metal components at their plant.

The Omaha Public Power District team devised a method to accurately track the development of microscopic “stress corrosion” cracking in nozzle welds for large pipes attached to the reactor vessel.

To achieve this technical advance, the team monitored surface changes of the metal over a 10-year period. By comparing the material condition and trending data, the team was able to determine the current status of the material, predict when granular cracking would take place and plan when to replace the components.

The team enhanced nuclear safety by monitoring the assurance of material condition of plant components and detecting flaws, thus lowering the probability of leaks and reducing worker radiation doses thanks to less frequent examinations. Estimated cost savings to OPPD over the past 7 years has been ~$12,300,000 using these concepts.

As stated in the conclusion of OPPD’s TIP award application, “OPPD has successfully met the inspection goal of achieving an instantaneous and complete material characterization history of the critical RV nozzle components. The work presented here is a new standard for industry inspection excellence.”

Public Service Enterprise Group
The winner of this year’s Community Relations Process Award is PSEG Nuclear for its state-of-the-art Energy and Environmental Resource Center at the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear station.

The Energy and Environmental Resource Center (EERC) presents a balanced view of the opportunities and challenges of various sources of electricity generation. By emphasizing the role of nuclear power within a diverse energy portfolio, the winning team strengthened its reputation in the community as a source for reliable information on energy issues.

Exhibit elements educate visitors on issues ranging from the basics of electricity generation to the impact of technology, lifestyle and policy on energy use. Visitors can view a model of a reactor core or an energy-efficient house. Interactive exhibits allow visitors to calculate their personal carbon footprint or learn the answers to frequently asked questions. In its first year of operation, 235 groups and nearly 5,000 individuals visited the EERC.

In keeping with PSEG’s commitment to environmental stewardship, the facility achieved Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council. In addition to the exhibits, the EERC hosts community events free of charge in a flexible multi-purpose room, classroom and hands-on lab. Through its partnership with Salem Community College, PSEG provides classroom and lab space for the college’s Nuclear Energy Technology program.

The success of the EERC has reenergized the nuclear industry’s approach to energy education outreach. PSEG made its exhibit designs available to a Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) taskforce to standardize the original design and make plans for the next generation of education centers accessible and cost effective. Modular exhibit design plans are available now, allowing other companies to save money as they connect with their own communities to increase public awareness of nuclear energy.

PSEG Nuclear also received the TIP award for community relations in 2010 for a series of briefings and plant tours that reached more than 700 stakeholders, including elected officials, regulators, educators and community leaders.

American Electric Power
Employees of American Electric Power at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Michigan won the Plant Support Process Award for its comprehensive groundwater protection modeling software. The software was developed to maintain safety and enhance public confidence.

To enhance communications when there is leakage of tritium or other materials at plant sites, the winning team pioneered the use of comprehensive groundwater protection monitoring software. The software can display 3D modeling of the site’s systems, structures and components in relation to tritium leakage. The highly interactive software allows for vast amounts of information to be efficiently managed and easily interpreted. Most significant are its predictive and investigative abilities, which can identify the potential sources of a leak and the potential impacts it may have—information that can result in better public and environmental protection.

By enhancing the ability to visually communicate detailed information, the groundwater monitoring software also is an effective tool for communicating about tritium.

AEP won the 2010 Westinghouse Design Vendor Award for their root cause analysis of a turbine failure in 2008, and the 2010 Plant Support Process Award for its innovative solutions during turbine restoration at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant.

About the TIP Awards
The Top Industry Practice (TIP) awards are presented each year at the Nuclear Energy Institute’s (NEI’s) annual meeting. The awards recognize industry employees in 14 categories—four vendor awards, nine process awards for innovation to improve safety, efficiency and nuclear plant performance, and one award for vision and leadership. The Best of the Best Award honors the late B. Ralph Sylvia, an industry leader who was instrumental in starting the TIP awards in 1993.

http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/newsreleases/tva-employees-win-top-innovation-award-for-improving-nuclear-fuel-safety-efficiency/