Safety-related incidents at the Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehtinen, P.

1985-01-01

This report contains detailed descriptions of operating incidents and other safety-related matters at the Finnish nuclear power plants regarded as significant by the regulatory authority, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. In this connection, an account is given of the practical actions caused by the incidents, and their significance to reactor safety is evaluated. The main features of the incidents are also described in the general Quartely Reports, Operation of Finnish Nuclear Power Plants, which are supplemented by this report intended for experts. (author)

Safety-related occurrences at the Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reponen, H.; Viitasaari, O.

1985-04-01

This report contains detailed descriptions of operating incidents and other safety-related matters at the Finnish nuclear power plants regarded as significant by the regulatory authority, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. In this connection, an account is given of the practical actions caused by the incidents, and their significance to reactor safety is evaluated. The main features of the incidents are also described in the general Quartely Report for this period, Operation of Finnish Nuclear Power Plants (STUK-B-YTO 7), which is supplemented by this report intended for experts. (author)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1990-12-01

During the second quarter of 1990 the Finnish nuclear plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 and TVO and II were in commercial operation for most of the time. The feedwater pipe rupture at Loviisa 1 and the resulting inspections and repairs at both Loviisa plant units brought about an outage the overall duration of which was 32 days. The annual maintenance outages of the TVO plant units were arranged during the report period and their combined duration was 31.5 days. Nuclear electricity accounted for 35.3% of the total Finnish electricity production during this quarter. The load factor average of the nuclear power plant units was 83.0%. Three events occurred during the report period which are classified as Level 1 on the International Nuclear Event Scale: feedwater pipe rupture at Loviisa 1, control rod withdrawal at TVO I in a test during an outage when the hydraulic scram system was rendered inoperable and erroneous fuel bundle transfers during control rod drives maintenance at TVO II. Other events during this quarter are classified as Level Zero (Below Scale) on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Occupational radiation doses and external releases of radioactivity were considerably below authorised limits. Only small amounts of nuclides originating in nuclear power plants were detected in samples taken in the vicinity of nuclear power plants

Safety-related occurrences at the Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viitasaari, O.; Rantavaara, A.

1984-03-01

This report contains detailed descriptions of operating incidents and other safety-related matters at the Finnish nuclear power plants regarded as significant by the regulatory authority, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. In this connection, an account is given of the practical actions caused by the incidents, and their significance to reactor safety is evaluated. The main features of the incidents are also described in the general Quartely Report for this period, Operation of Finnish Nuclear Power Plants (STL-B-RTO-83/7), which is supplemented by this report intended principally for experts. (author)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1993-12-01

Quarterly reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations related to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety considers safety significant. Safety-enhancing plant modifications and general matters relating to the use of nuclear energy are also reported. A summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and the environment, and tabulated data on the plants' production and their load factors are also given. At the Loviisa 1 plant unit one of two specially-backed AC busbars was lost during the second quarter of 1993. A ca. 30 minute voltage break caused malfunctions in the plant unit's electrical equipment and rendered inoperable certain components important to safety. The event is rated on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) at level 1. In inspections carried out at TVO II during the annual maintenance outage, the number of cracks detected in control rod structural material was higher than usual. When cracks occur, part of boron carbide, the power regulating medium in control rods, may wash into the reactor water and control rod shutdown capability may be impaired. The event is rated on the INES at level 1. Other events in the second quarter of 1993 had no bearing on nuclear or radiation safety. (4 figs., 5 tabs.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1991-02-01

During the third quarter of 1990 the Finnish nuclear power plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 and TVO I and II were in commercial operation for most of the time. The annual maintenance outages of the Loviisa plant units were held during the report period. All events during this quarter are classified as Level hero (Below Scale) on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Occupational radiation doses and external releases of radioactivity were below authorised limits. Only small amounts of radioactive substances originating in nuclear power plants were detected in samples taken in the vicinity of nuclear power plants

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1991-12-01

The Finnish nuclear power plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 as well as TVO 1 and II were in operation for almost the whole second quarter of 1991. The load factor average was 87.4 %. In consequence of a fire, which broke out in the switchgear building, connections to both external grids were lost and TVO II relied on power supplied by four back-up diesels for 7.5 hrs. The event is classified as Level 2 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The process of examining the non-leaking fuel bundles removed from the Loviisa nuclear reactors has continued. The examinations have revealed, so far, that the uppermost spacing lattices of the bundles exhibit deformations similar to those detected in the leaking fuel bundles removed from the reactors. This event is classified as Level 1 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Other events in this quarter which are classified according to the International Nuclear Event Scale are Level Zero (Below Scale) on the Scale. The Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety has assessed the safety of the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants based on the new regulations issued on 14.2.1991 by the Council of State. The safety regulations are much more stringent than those in force when the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants were built. The assessment indicated that the TVO nuclear power plant meets these safety regulations. The Loviisa nuclear power plant meets the requirements with the exception of certain requirements related to the ensuring of safety functions and provision for accidents. At the Loviisa nuclear power plant there are several projects under consideration to enhance safety

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1992-09-01

The Finnish nuclear power plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 as well as TVO I and II were in operation for almost all the time in the first quarter of 1992. The load factor average was 99.8%. All events which are classified on the International Nuclear Event Scale were level 0/below scale on the Scale. Occupational radiation doses and releases of radioactive material off-site remained well below authorised limits. Only quantities of radioactive material insignificant to radiation exposure, originating from the nuclear power plants, were detected in samples collected in the vicinity of the nuclear power plants

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 2nd quarter 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sillanpaeae, T.

1996-11-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. In the second quarter of 1996, the Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation except for the annual maintenance outages of TVO plant units and the Midsummer shutdown at TVO II which was due to low electricity demand, a turbine generator inspection and repairs. The load factor average of all plant units was 88.9 %. Events in the second quarter of 1996 were classified level 0 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3rd quarter, 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tossavainen, K. [ed.

1995-03-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe nuclear and radiation safety related events and observations which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants and general matters relating to the use of nuclear energy are also reported. A summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment, and tabulated data on the plants` production and load factors are also given. (4 figs., 4 tabs.).

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3rd quarter, 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1995-03-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe nuclear and radiation safety related events and observations which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants and general matters relating to the use of nuclear energy are also reported. A summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment, and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors are also given. (4 figs., 4 tabs.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1992-05-01

The Finnish nuclear power plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 as well as TVO I and II were in operation for almost the whole fourth quarter of 1991. The load factor average was 94.7 % (the whole year 90.9 %). All the events in the last annual quarter, which are classified on the International Nuclear Event Scale, were below scale/level 0. Also the events which occurred in the other quarters of the year 1991 were rated at the scale's lowest levels. Occupational radiation doses and releases of radioactive material off-site remained well below authorised limits. Only quantities of radioactive material insignificant to radiation exposure originating in nuclear power plants were detected in the samples collected in the vicinity of the nuclear power plants

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3rd, quarter 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sillanpaeae, T.

1996-05-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The Report includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. Except for the annual maintenance outages of Loviisa plant units and for TVO II's brief outage to repair a failed component, Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation in the third quarter of 1995. The load factor average of all plant units was 90.4 %. Events in this quarter were level 0 on the INES scale. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorised limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.) (4 figs., 4 tabs.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3rd, quarter 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sillanpaeae, T [ed.

1996-05-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The Report includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants` production and load factors. Except for the annual maintenance outages of Loviisa plant units and for TVO II`s brief outage to repair a failed component, Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation in the third quarter of 1995. The load factor average of all plant units was 90.4 %. Events in this quarter were level 0 on the INES scale. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorised limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.) (4 figs., 4 tabs.).

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 3. quarter 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koponen, H.

1989-02-01

This general review of the operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants concentrates on such events and discoveries related to nuclear and radiation safety as the regulatory body, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, regards as noteworthy. The report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of the personnel and the environment, as well as tabulated data on the production and load factors of the plants. In the report period, no event essentially degraded plant safety nor posed a radiation hazard to the personnel or the environment

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 2. quarter 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koponen, H.

1988-12-01

This general review of the operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants concentrates on such events and discoveries related to nuclear and radiation safety as the regulatory body, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, regards as noteworthy. The report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of the personnel and the environment, as well as tabulated data on the production and load factors of the plants. In the report period, no event essentially degraded plant safety nor posed a radiation hazard to the personnel or the environement

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3. quarter 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haenninen, R.

1988-06-01

This general review of the operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants concentrates on such events and discoveries related to nuclear and radiation safety as the regulatory body, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, regards as noteworthy. The report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of the personnel and the environment, as well as tabulated data on the production and load factors of the plants. In the report period, no event essentially degraded plant safety nor posed a radiation hazard to the personnel o the environment

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 4th quarter 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1997-05-01

Quarterly reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants's production and load factors. In the fourth quarter of 1996, the Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation except for the annual maintenance outage of Loviisa 2 and a shutdown at Olkiluoto 1 to repair a condensate system stop valve. The load factor average of all plant units was 96.5%. Events in the fourth quarter of 1996 were level 0 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorised limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 2nd quarter, 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tossavainen, K. [ed.

1995-10-01

Quarterly reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Fasety improvements at the plants are also described. The report includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the evironment and tabulated data on the plants` production and load factors. Except for the annual maintenance outages of the TVO plant units and for TVO II`s Midsummer outage which was due to low electricity demand, the Finnish nuclear power plants were in power operation during the second quarter of 1995. The load factor average of all four plant units was 91.2 %. Events during the second annual quarter were level 0 on the INES scale. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorized limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (4 figs., 4 tabs.).

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 3rd quarter 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sillanpaeae, T.

1997-02-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The Report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. In the third quarter of 1996, the Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation except for the annual maintenance outages of Loviisa plant units and a shutdown at Olkiluoto 1 to identify and repair malfunctions of a high pressure turbine control valve. The load factor average of all plant units was 77.2%. Events in the third quarter of 1996 were classified level 0 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorised limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. The names of Teollisuuden Voima Oy's plant units have changed. Olkiluoto 1 and Olkiluoto 2 now replace the names TVO I and TVO II previously used in quarterly reports. (orig.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1992-03-01

The Finnish nuclear power plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 as well as TVO I and II were in operation for almost the whole third quarter of 1991. Longer interruptions in electricity generation were caused by the annual maintenances of the Loviisa plant units. The load factor average was 81.7 %. In a test conducted during the annual maintenance outage of Loviisa 1 it was detected that the check valve of the discharge line of one pressurized emergency make-up tank did not open sufficiently at the tank's hydrostatic pressure. In connection with a 1988 modification, a too tightly dimensioned bearing had been mounted on the valve's axle rod and the valve had not been duly tested after the operation. The event is classified as Level 1 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Other events in this quarter which are classified according to the International Nuclear Event Scale are Level Zero (Below Scale). Occupational radiation doses and releases of radioactive material off-site were below authorised limits in this quarter. Only small amounts of radioactive materials originating in nuclear power plants were detected in samples taken in the vicinity of nuclear power plants

Ensuring the operational safety of finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vuorinen, A.

1991-01-01

The Finnish nuclear energy programme has been successful both from the safety and economical point of view. These achievements are based on different factors which are discussed in the paper. Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) has specified the technical requirements and procedures to be followed in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of NPPs in a series of guides. The guides are quite demanding and latest results of safety research and technical development are taken into account. Regulatory supervision of Finnish NPPs is comprehensive. As an example of this the regulatory inspection program for operational phase is presented. An important way to ensure operational safety of a NPP is to define a set of limits and conditions to identify limiting safety envelope for plant operation. Practices in Finland are reviewed in the paper. The strategy of Defence in Depth is amongst the fundamental principles of nuclear safety. Two corollary principles of defence of depth are accident prevention and accident mitigation. Means used in following these principles are discussed. (author)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1992-12-01

The Finnish nuclear power plant units Loviisa 1 and 2 as well TVO I and II were in operation for almost the whole second quarter of 1992. Longer breaks in production were caused by the annual maintenance of the TVO plant units. The load factor was 87.4 %. At TVO I it was detected during the annual maintenance outage when removing nuclear fuel assemblies from the reactor that one assembly had been loaded into the reactor in an incorrect manner during the previous year's annual maintenance: the assembly was slightly higher than the other assemblies. The water cooling the nuclear fuel partly by-passed the fuel assembly and the coolant flow proper passing through the assembly was below design. The fuel assembly's cooling had been sufficient during the whole operating cycle but could have essentially deteriorated during certain transients with the danger of consequent damage to some fuel rods. On the International Nuclear Event Scale the event is classified as level 1. Other events in this quarter which are classified on the International Nuclear Event Scale were level 0/below scale on the scale

Finnish research programmes on nuclear power plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puska, E. K.

2010-01-01

The current Finnish national research programme on nuclear power plant safety SAFIR2010 for the years 2007-2010 as well as the coming SAFIR2014 programme for the years 2011-2014 are based on the chapter 7a, 'Ensuring expertise', of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act. The objective of this chapter is realised in the research work and education of experts in the projects of these research programmes. SAFIR2010 research programme is divided in eight research areas that are Organisation and human, Automation and control room, Fuel and reactor physics, Thermal hydraulics, Severe accidents, Structural safety of reactor circuit, Construction safety, and Probabilistic Safety Analysis (PSA). All the research areas include both projects in their own area and interdisciplinary co-operational projects. Research projects of the programme are chosen on the basis of annual call for proposals. In 2010 research is carried out in 33 projects in SAFIR2010. VTT is the responsible research organisation in 26 of these projects and VTT is also the coordination unit of SAFIR2010 and SAFIR2014. In 2007-2009 SAFIR2010 produced 497 Specified research results (Deliverables), 618 Publications, and 33 Academic degrees. SAFIR2010 programme covers approximately half of the reactor safety research volume in Finland currently. In 2010 the programme volume is EUR 7.1 million and 47 person years. The major funding partners are VYR with EUR 2.96 million, VTT with EUR 2.66 million, Fortum with EUR 0.28 million, TVO with EUR 0.19 million, NKS with EUR 0.15 million, EU with only EUR 0.03 million and other partners with EUR 0.85 million. The new decisions-in-principle on Olkiluoto unit 4 for Teollisuuden Voima and new nuclear power plant for Fennovoima ratified by the Finnish Parliament on 1 July 2010 increase the annual funding collected according to the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act from Fennovoima, Fortum and Teollisuuden Voima for the SAFIR2014 programme to EUR 5.2 million from the current level of EUR 3

The classification of knowledge and expertise in Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuronen, T.; Rintala, N.

2006-01-01

The difficulties in sharing tacit knowledge may compromise the safe performance of high-reliability organisations. This threat has been recognised in nuclear power plants worldwide, owing to the risk of simultaneous retirements. In this study, the nature of tacit knowledge in Finnish nuclear power plants was examined and the expertise of nuclear workers modelled. The results of this interview study showed that the tacit nuclear knowledge can be classified in two dimensions: technical and contextual. According to this classification, the employees in plants can be categorised in four categories: the experts; the novices; the technical specialists; the context sensitives. (author)

Views on safety culture at Swedish and Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammar, L.; Wahlstroem, B.; Kettunen, J.

2000-02-01

The report presents the results of interviews about safety culture at Swedish and Finnish nuclear power plants. The aim is to promote the safety work and increase the debate about safety in nuclear power plants, by showing that the safety culture is an important safety factor. The interviews point out different threats, which may become real. It is therefor necessary that the safety aspects get support from of the society and the power plant owners. (EHS)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 3rd quarter 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1998-04-01

Quarterly reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety that the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The Report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. The Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation in the third quarter of 1997, except for the annual maintenance outages of Loviisa plant units which lasted well over a month in all. There was also a brief interruption in electricity generation at Olkiluoto 1 for repairs and at Olkiluoto 2 due to a disturbance at the turbine plant. All plant units were in long-term test operation at upgraded reactor power level approved by STUK. The load factor average of all plant units was 87.6 %. One event in the third quarter was classified level 1 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). It was noted at Loviisa 2 that one of four pressurized water tanks in the plant unit's emergency cooling system had been inoperable for a year. Other events in this quarter were INES level 0. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorized limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 2nd quarter 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1997-12-01

Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety which STUK - Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The Report also includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. The Finnish nuclear power plant units were in power operation in the second quarter of 1997, except for the annual maintenance outages of Olkiluoto plant units and the Midsummer outage at Olkiluoto 2 due to reduced demand for electricity. There were also brief interruptions in power operation at the Olkiluoto plant units due to three reactor scrams. All plant units are undergoing long-term test operation at upgraded reactor power level which has been approved by STUK The load factor average of all plant units was 88.7 %. One event in the second quarter of 1997 was classified level 1 on the INES. The event in question was a scram at Olkiluoto 1 which was caused by erroneous opening of switches. Other events in this quarter were level 0. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorized limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 1st quarter 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1998-11-01

Quarterly reports on the operation of Finnish NPPs describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety that the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The report includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. The Finnish NPP units were in power operation for the whole first quarter of 1998. All the units were in long-term test operation at uprated power level authorised by STUK. The load factor average of the plant units was 100.8%. An oil leak at Olkiluoto NPP Unit 2 caused an ignition that was promptly extinguished. A subsequent appraisal of the event disclosed deficiencies in the functioning of the plant unit's operating organization and the event was classified INES level 1. Other events in this quarter had no bearing on nuclear or radiation safety. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorized limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report, 2nd quarter 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1999-12-01

Quarterly reports on the operation of Finnish NPPs describe events and observations relating to nuclear and radiation safety that the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants are also described. The report includes a summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and the environment and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors. All Finnish NPP units were in power operation for the whole second quarter of 1999, with the exception of the annual maintenance outages of the Olkiluoto plant units. The load factor average of the plant units in this quarter was 93.1%. Two events in this quarter were classified Level 1 on the INKS Scale. At Olkiluoto 1, a valve of the containment gas treatment system had been in an incorrect position for almost a month, owing to which the system would not have been available as planned in an accident. At Olkiluoto 2, main circulation pump work was done during the annual maintenance outage and a containment personnel air lock was briefly open in violation of the Technical Specifications. Water leaking out of the reactor in an accident could not have been directed to the emergency cooling system because it would have leaked out from the containment via the open personnel air lock. Other events in this quarter had no bearing on the nuclear or radiation safety of the plant units. The individual doses of NPP personnel and also radioactive releases off-site were well below authorised limits. Radioactive substances were measurable in samples collected around the plants in such quantities only as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. (orig.)

Reporting nuclear power plant operation to the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear safety (STUK) is the authority in Finland responsible for controlling the safety of the use of nuclear energy. The control includes, among other things, inspection of documents, reports and other clarification submitted to the STUK, and also independent safety analyses and inspections at the plant site. The guide presents what reports and notifications of the operation of the nuclear facilities are required and how they shall be submitted to the STUK. The guide does not cover reports to be submitted on nuclear material safeguards addressed in the guide YVL 6.10. Guide YVL 6.11 presents reporting related to the physical protection of nuclear power plants. Monitoring and reporting of occupational exposure at nuclear power plants is presented in the guide YVL 7.10 and reporting on radiological control in the environment of nuclear power plants in the guide YVL 7.8

Studies of potential severe accidents in Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3. quarter 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aro, Ilari.

1989-07-01

This thesis is based on six publications dealing with severe accident studies in Finnish nuclear power plants. Main emphasis has been put on general technical bases and methodologies applied in severe accident evaluation in Finland. As an example of the use of the analysis and evaluation methods, the analysis of one representative accident sequence, t otal loss of AC power , has been presented for both Finnish power plant types. This accident sequence is required to be analyzed in the Finnish safety guide YVL 2.2 which deals with transient and accident analyses as a basis of technical solutions at nuclear powr plants. Two different analysis methods, MAAP 3.0 and MARCH 3/STCP have been used for receiving as complete a picture as possible of the flow of events and for verifying the models to some extent. Besides the use of the two different models, the method of sensitivity analysis has been used for evaluating the effects of some important technical parameters on the accident flow. Finally, conclusions of the applicability of the two methods for analyzing severe accident sequences in Finnish plants have been discussed

A new Finnish nuclear power unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

In Finland, nuclear power is considered a natural part of a sustainable energy system. The Finnish Parliament has decided that development of nuclear power is consistent with the overall interests of society when climate issues, environmental targets, supply security and stable and competitive prices of electric power are considered as a whole. In 2002, the Finnish Parliament approved the Government's decision in principle to build a fifth nuclear power plant. The new project is the most advanced energy project in the Nordic countries with respect to the availability of energy free of carbon dioxide. The decision is also welcomed by the EU. The new reactor will be of the EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor) type. In addition to supplying power to the Finnish industries, the plant is considered necessary if Finland is to comply with international conventions on CO 2 emissions

New nuclear power plant unit in Finland accepted by the Finnish Parliament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaetkae, M.

2002-01-01

The nuclear option has been included in Finland's energy strategy since late 1990's. Based on TVO's application the Finnish Parliament accepted in May 2002 the decision in principle to build a new nuclear power plant unit. The main arguments were the growth of electricity demand, reduction of CO 2 emissions, security of energy supply and reasonable as well as predictable electricity price. TVO's intention is to get the new power plant unit into commercial operation at the end of this decade.(author)

SAFIR2014. The Finnish Research Programme on Nuclear Power Plant Safety 2011-2014. Interim Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simola, K. [ed.

2013-02-15

The Finnish Nuclear Power Plant Safety Research Programme 2011-2014, SAFIR2014, is a 4-year publicly funded national technical and scientific research programme on the safety of nuclear power plants. The programme is funded by the State Nuclear Waste Management Fund (VYR), as well as other key organisations operating in the area of nuclear energy. The programme provides the necessary conditions for retaining knowledge needed for ensuring the continuance of safe use of nuclear power, for developing new know-how and for participation in international co-operation. The SAFIR2014 Steering Group, responsible of the strategic alignements of the programme, consists of representatives of the Finnish Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE), Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), Fortum Power and Heat Oy (Fortum), Fennovoima Oy, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT), Aalto University (Aalto), Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (TTL) and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). The research programme is divided into nine areas: Man, organisation and society, Automation and control room, Fuel research and reactor analysis, Thermal hydraulics, Severe accidents, Structural safety of reactor circuits, Construction safety, Probabilistic risk analysis (PRA), and Development of research infrastructure. A reference group is assigned to each of these areas to respond for the strategic planning and to supervise the projects in its respective field. Research projects are selected annually based on a public call for proposals. Most of the projects are planned for the entire duration of the programme, but there can also be shorter one- or two-year projects. The annual volume of the SAFIR2014 programme in 2011-2012 has been 9,5-9,9 M euro. Main funding organisations were the State Nuclear Waste Management Fund (VYR) with over 5 M euro and

SAFIR2014. The Finnish Research Programme on Nuclear Power Plant Safety 2011-2014. Interim Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simola, K.

2013-02-01

The Finnish Nuclear Power Plant Safety Research Programme 2011-2014, SAFIR2014, is a 4-year publicly funded national technical and scientific research programme on the safety of nuclear power plants. The programme is funded by the State Nuclear Waste Management Fund (VYR), as well as other key organisations operating in the area of nuclear energy. The programme provides the necessary conditions for retaining knowledge needed for ensuring the continuance of safe use of nuclear power, for developing new know-how and for participation in international co-operation. The SAFIR2014 Steering Group, responsible of the strategic alignements of the programme, consists of representatives of the Finnish Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE), Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), Fortum Power and Heat Oy (Fortum), Fennovoima Oy, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT), Aalto University (Aalto), Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (TTL) and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). The research programme is divided into nine areas: Man, organisation and society, Automation and control room, Fuel research and reactor analysis, Thermal hydraulics, Severe accidents, Structural safety of reactor circuits, Construction safety, Probabilistic risk analysis (PRA), and Development of research infrastructure. A reference group is assigned to each of these areas to respond for the strategic planning and to supervise the projects in its respective field. Research projects are selected annually based on a public call for proposals. Most of the projects are planned for the entire duration of the programme, but there can also be shorter one- or two-year projects. The annual volume of the SAFIR2014 programme in 2011-2012 has been 9,5-9,9 M euro. Main funding organisations were the State Nuclear Waste Management Fund (VYR) with over 5 M euro and

Reliability of diesel generators in the Finnish and Swedish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pulkkinen, U.; Huovinen, T.; Norros, L.; Vanhala, J.

1989-10-01

Diesel generators are used as emergency AC-power sources in nuclear power plants and they produce electric power for other emergency systems during accidents in which offsite power is lost. The reliability of diesel generators is thus of major concern for overall safety of nuclear power plants. In this study we consider the reliability of diesel generators in the Swedish and Finnish nuclear power plants on the basis of collected operational experience. We classify the occurred failures according to their functional criticality, type and cause. The failures caused by human errors in maintenance and testing are analysed in detail. We analyse also the reliability of the diesel generator subsystems. Further, we study the effect of surveillance test and the type of test on the reliability. Finally we construct an unavailability model for single diesel generator unit and discuss the findings of the study giving some practical recommendations

Finnish experiences on licensing and using of programmable digital systems in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haapanen, P.; Maskuniitty, M.; Heimburger, H.; Hall, L.E.; Manninen, T.

1993-01-01

Finnish utility companies, Imatran Voima Oy (IVO) and Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), and the licensing authority, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK), are preparing for a new nuclear power plant in Finland. Plant vendors are proposing programmable digital automation systems for both the safety-related and the operational I and C (instrumentation and control) systems in this new unit. Also in existing plant units the replacement of certain old analog systems with state-of-the-art digital ones will become necessary in the years to come. Licensing of programmable systems for safety critical applications requires a new approach due to the special properties and failure modes of these systems. The major difficulties seem to be in the assessment and quantification of software reliability. The Technical Research Centre of Finland has in co-operation with the authority and the utilities conducted a project (AJA) to develop domestically applicable licensing requirements, guidelines and practices. International standards, guidelines and licensing practices have been analyzed in order to specify national licensing requirements. The paper describes and discusses the findings and experiences of the AJA project so far. The experience in introducing advanced programmable digital control and computer systems in the operating nuclear power plants will be covered briefly. Although these systems are not safety-related but systems of more general interest regarding nuclear safety, some routines regarding the licensing of safety- related systems have been followed. In these backfitting and replacement projects some experience have been gained in how to license safety-related programmable systems. (Author) 31 refs., 2 figs

Reliability of diesel generators at the Finnish and Swedish nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pulkkinen, Urho [Technical Research Centre of Finland, Vuorimiehentie 5, SF-02150, Espoo (Finland)

1986-02-15

The operating experiences of 40 stand-by diesel generators at the Finnish and Swedish nuclear power plants have been analysed with special emphasis on the impact of the frequency of surveillance testing and of the test procedure on diesel generator reliability, the contribution of design, manufacturing, testing and maintenance errors and the potential and actual common cause failures, The results pf the analyses consisted both practical recommendations and mathematical reliability models and useful reliability data. (author)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 4th quarter, 1994 and annual summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1995-05-01

The Loviisa NPP units were in power operation the whole last quarter, with the exception of a reactor scram at Loviisa 1. The load factor average of all Finnish plant units was 100.2 %. The annual average was 90.0 %. All events in the fourth annual quarter were assigned level 0 (no safety significance) on the international INES scale. Four events in 1994 were classified level 1 (an anomaly). The Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety in December approved Imatran Voima Oy's application to extend the operation of the reactor pressure vessel of Loviisa 2 until the annual maintenance outage of 2010. During this quarter, a batch of spent fuel from Loviisa power plant was transported to Russia. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorised limits. Only such quantities of plant-based radioactive materials were measurable in samples collected around the plants as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. The report includes a summary of all the items described in the Quarterly Reports of 1994. (8 figs., 4 tabs.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 4th quarter, 1994 and annual summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tossavainen, K [ed.

1995-05-01

The Loviisa NPP units were in power operation the whole last quarter, with the exception of a reactor scram at Loviisa 1. The load factor average of all Finnish plant units was 100.2 %. The annual average was 90.0 %. All events in the fourth annual quarter were assigned level 0 (no safety significance) on the international INES scale. Four events in 1994 were classified level 1 (an anomaly). The Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety in December approved Imatran Voima Oy`s application to extend the operation of the reactor pressure vessel of Loviisa 2 until the annual maintenance outage of 2010. During this quarter, a batch of spent fuel from Loviisa power plant was transported to Russia. Occupational doses and radioactive releases off-site were below authorised limits. Only such quantities of plant-based radioactive materials were measurable in samples collected around the plants as have no bearing on the radiation exposure of the population. The report includes a summary of all the items described in the Quarterly Reports of 1994. (8 figs., 4 tabs.).

Recurring Events in the Finnish Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suksi, Seija; Olander, Ronnie; Tiippana, Petteri

2003-01-01

An analysis and evaluation of event investigation methods applied by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), and the two Finnish nuclear power plant operators Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) and Fortum Power and Heat Oy (Fortum) was carried out by the Technical Research Centre (VIT) on an assignment from STUK. The study aimed at providing a broad overview of the whole organisational framework to support event investigation practices at the regulatory body and at the utilities. The study was part of the IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on 'Investigation of Methodologies for Incident Analysis'. The main objective of the research was to evaluate the adequacy and reliability of event investigation analysis methods and practices in the Finnish nuclear power industry and based on the results to further develop them. In general, the direct causes of identified events could be detected and eliminated, but more emphasis should be given to the prevention of recurrence of events and identification of common causes and latent failures. The study showed that the evaluated organisations had rather comprehensive incident analysis arrangements. The study also showed that more focus and prioritisation are needed. Deficiencies were identified mostly in the areas of recording, assessment and classification of new events, use of existing operating experience data, utilisation of information technology tools, and allocation of work and resources. Also the indicators or measures for the effectiveness of event investigation and operating experience feedback were missing. All organisations should maintain adequate resources in this area. The researchers suggested a more effective operating experience feedback loop. Especially more attention should be paid to root cause analysis of significant events, tasks and activities where the initial errors have occurred, and weaknesses of defensive barriers. It was also recommended that implementing periodic operational experience

Monitoring of radioactivity in the environs of Finnish nuclear power stations in 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sjoeblom, K.-L.; Klemola, S.; Ilus, E.; Arvela, H.; Blomqvist, L.

1989-06-01

Results of the environmental programmes for monitoring radioactive contamination around Finnish nuclear power plants in 1987 are reported. Fallout from the Chernobyl accident, which took place in April 1986, was still dominating the artificial radiation situation in Finland. Thus, large amounts of 137 Cs and other long-lived fallout nuclides predominated in the environmental samples taken in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. The extremely small airborne releases from Finnish nuclear power plants were almost totally covered by fallout nuclides. The somewhat higher aquatic releases were easier to distinguish, and it was possible to follow their spread in the marine environment. The contribution of locally discharged nuclides to radiation doses of the population was insignificant

RATU2. The Finnish research programme on the structural integrity of nuclear power plants. Interim report 1995 - April 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solin, J.; Sarkimo, M.; Asikainen, M.

1997-06-01

The projects within the Finnish public funded research programme on the structural integrity of nuclear power plants (RATU2) are briefly introduced and the scientific and technical results obtained during the first two years, 1995-April 1997, are summarised in this report. The RATU2 programme was started in 1995 and will be continued until 1998. In 1996 this programme represented 6 % of the nuclear energy R and D in Finland. The research programme is mainly publicly funded and supplies impartial expertise for the regulation of nuclear energy. It also plays an important role in the education of new experts, technology transfer and international exchange of scientific results. The programme is organised into five research projects on the following topics: Material degradation in the reactor environment, Reliability of nondestructive inspections of nuclear power plants, Structural analyses for nuclear power plant components, Maintenance strategies and dependability, and Fire safety. The ageing of the structures and components in the Finnish nuclear power plants is one of the main issues to be considered when safety and economic operation of the plants is evaluated. At the same time, ways are being sought to extend the lifetime of components. The first half of the RATU2 research programme has already brought significant scientific findings and useful applications for ensuring the reliability of NPP components. New technology has been transferred to domestic use through active participation to international co-operation. On the other hand, international acceptance of the results has provided valuable feedback and benchmarking. (orig.)

RATU2. The Finnish research programme on the structural integrity of nuclear power plants. Interim report 1995 - April 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solin, J; Sarkimo, M; Asikainen, M [VTT Manufacturing Technology, Espoo (Finland). Materials and Structural Integrity; eds.

1997-06-01

The projects within the Finnish public funded research programme on the structural integrity of nuclear power plants (RATU2) are briefly introduced and the scientific and technical results obtained during the first two years, 1995-April 1997, are summarised in this report. The RATU2 programme was started in 1995 and will be continued until 1998. In 1996 this programme represented 6 % of the nuclear energy R and D in Finland. The research programme is mainly publicly funded and supplies impartial expertise for the regulation of nuclear energy. It also plays an important role in the education of new experts, technology transfer and international exchange of scientific results. The programme is organised into five research projects on the following topics: Material degradation in the reactor environment, Reliability of nondestructive inspections of nuclear power plants, Structural analyses for nuclear power plant components, Maintenance strategies and dependability, and Fire safety. The ageing of the structures and components in the Finnish nuclear power plants is one of the main issues to be considered when safety and economic operation of the plants is evaluated. At the same time, ways are being sought to extend the lifetime of components. The first half of the RATU2 research programme has already brought significant scientific findings and useful applications for ensuring the reliability of NPP components. New technology has been transferred to domestic use through active participation to international co-operation. On the other hand, international acceptance of the results has provided valuable feedback and benchmarking. (orig.). 112 refs.

Monitoring of radionuclides in the vicinities of Finnish nuclear power plants in 1991-1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikaeheimonen, T.K.; Klemola, S.; Ilus, E.; Sjoeblom, K.-L.

1995-06-01

Surveillance of radioactive substances around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1991-1992 according to regular monitoring programmes, in which about 1000 samples were analysed annually from terrestrial and aquatic environments of the two power plants. Trace amounts of activation products originating from the airborne releases of the local power plants were detected in several air, deposition and soil samples. Discharged nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms, sinking matter and sediments. However, the concentrations were so low that they did not markedly increase the radiation burden in the environment. The dominant artificial radionuclides in the vicinity of the power plants remained the cesium isotopes, {sup 137}Cs and {sup 134}Cs, originating from the Chernobyl accident. (orig.) (21 figs., 40 tabs.).

Monitoring of radionuclides in the vicinities of Finnish nuclear power plants in 1993 and 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klemola, S.; Ilus, E.; Ikaeheimonen, T.K.

1998-08-01

Monitoring of radioactive substances around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1993-1994 in accordance with the regular programmes. Some 1000 samples are analysed annually from the terrestrial and aquatic environments of the two power plant sites. Trace amounts of activation products originating from airborne releases from the local power plants were detected in several air, deposition and soil samples. Discharged nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms, sinking matter and sediments. However, the concentrations were so low that they did not significantly increase the radiation burden in the environment. The dominant artificial radionuclides in the vicinity of the power plants remained the cesium isotopes, especially 137 Cs but also 134 Cs, originating from the Chernobyl accident. (orig.)

Monitoring of radionuclides in the vicinities of Finnish nuclear power plants in 1993 and 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klemola, S.; Ilus, E.; Ikaeheimonen, T.K

1998-08-01

Monitoring of radioactive substances around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1993-1994 in accordance with the regular programmes. Some 1000 samples are analysed annually from the terrestrial and aquatic environments of the two power plant sites. Trace amounts of activation products originating from airborne releases from the local power plants were detected in several air, deposition and soil samples. Discharged nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms, sinking matter and sediments. However, the concentrations were so low that they did not significantly increase the radiation burden in the environment. The dominant artificial radionuclides in the vicinity of the power plants remained the cesium isotopes, especially {sup 137}Cs but also {sup 134}Cs, originating from the Chernobyl accident. (orig.) 14 refs.

French-Finnish colloquium on safety of French and Russian type nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukka, M.; Jaervinen, M.; Minkkinen, P.; Ukkola, A.; Levomaeki, L.

1994-01-01

The French-Finnish Colloquium on Safety of French and Russian Type Nuclear Power Plants was held in June, 14th - 16th, 1994, in Lappeenranta, Finland. The main topics of the colloquium were: VVER and RBMK reactors; Industrial safety studies for VVER's in FRAMATOME; Structural safety analysis of Ignalina NPP; Thermalhydraulic system (BETHSY) and analytical experiments for French NPP; Test facilities simulating VVER plants during accidents; PACTEL - facility for VVER thermal hydraulics; High burn-up fuel and reactivity accidents; Overview of severe accident research at Nuclear Protection and Safety Institute of CEA; Research of severe accidents in Finland; Review of main activities concerning computer codes used for VVER thermal-hydraulic safety analysis in OKB Gidropress; CATHARE code; APROS computer code, new developments; TRIO and TOLBIAC computer codes; ESTET and N3S softwares; HEXTRAN - 3D reactor dynamics code for VVER accident analysis; An overview the boron dilution issue in PWRs; Boron mixing transients in a 900 MW PWR vessel for a reactor start-up operation; and Problem of boric acid dilution in IVO

RATU2 - The Finnish research programme on the structural integrity of nuclear power plants. Synthesis of achievements 1995-1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solin, J.; Sarkimo, M.; Asikainen, M.; Aavall, Aa.

1998-01-01

The symposium summarises the scientific and technical achievements within the Finnish Research programme on the structural integrity of nuclear power plants (RATU2). The programme began in 1995 and will be accomplished at the end of 1998. The annual volume of this programme represented approximately 6 % of the total nuclear energy R and D in Finland. The research programme was mainly publicly funded and supplied impartial expertise for the regulation of nuclear energy. It also played an important role in the education of new experts, technology transfer and the international exchange of scientific results. (orig.)

Nuclear power plant outages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) controls nuclear power plant safety in Finland. In addition to controlling the design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants, STUK also controls refuelling and repair outages at the plants. According to section 9 of the Nuclear Energy Act (990/87), it shall be the licence-holder's obligation to ensure the safety of the use of nuclear energy. Requirements applicable to the licence-holder as regards the assurance of outage safety are presented in this guide. STUK's regulatory control activities pertaining to outages are also described

Monitoring of radionuclides in the environs of Finnish nuclear power plants in 1989-1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilus, E.; Sjoeblom, K-L.; Klemola, S.; Arvela, H.

1992-01-01

Surveillance of radioactive substances around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1989-1990 according to the regular monitoring programmes. About 1000 samples were analysed annually from both terrestrial and aquatic environments. The dominant artificial radionuclides in the vicinity of the power plants were still the cesium isotopes, 137 Cs and 134 Cs, originating from the Chernobyl accident. Owing to radioactive decay, other fallout nuclides with shorter half-lives disappeared from the environmental samples during the period in question. Trace amounts of activation products originating from the airborne releases of the local power plants were detected in some air and deposition samples. Discharged nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms and sinking matter collected from the Olkiluoto area in 1990. However, the concentrations were so low that they did not markedly raise the radiation burden in the environment. (orig.)

Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

1994-03-01

In the third quarter of 1993, all of Finland's four nuclear power plant units were in power operation, with the exception of the annual maintenance outages of the Loviisa units. The load factor average of the plant units was 83.6 %. None of the events which occurred during this annual quarter had any bearing on nuclear or radiation safety. (4 figs., 5 tabs.)

The styles of the Finnish nuclear waste policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojo, Matti

2010-09-01

The Finnish government determined the aims and schedule for nuclear waste management in 1983. Nearly three decades later spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management is approaching the construction licensing phase of the repository, on schedule. The parliamentary decision on the final disposal of SNF was taken almost unanimously in 2001. The location of the SNF facility was chosen at the same time. The smoothness of this raises questions about the main factors behind the progress in Finland. The aim of the paper is to analyse the Finnish nuclear waste policy from the point of view of policy style. In the paper policy style is defined as 'the interaction between (a) the government's approach to problem-solving and (b) the relationship between government and the other actors in policy process'. According to this definition by Richardson, Gustafsson and Jordan, the focus of style is both on policymaking and on implementation. The policy style approach is used to identify the standard operating procedures of Finnish nuclear waste policy. The paper aims to contribute to the discussion on the formation of national nuclear waste policy and its institutions by analysing the Finnish case

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in the Finnish bedrock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) studies Finnish bedrock for the final disposal of the spent nuclear fuel from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The study is in accordance with the decision in principle by Finnish government in 1983. The report is the summary of the preliminary site investigations carried out during the years 1987-1992. On the basis of these investigations a few areas will be selected for detailed site investigation. The characterization comprises five areas selected from the shortlist of potential candidate areas resulted in the earlier study during 1983-1985. Areas are located in different parts of Finland and they represent the main formations of the Finnish bedrock. Romuvaara area in Kuhmo and Veitsivaara area in Hyrynsalmi represent the Archean basement. Kivetty area in Konginkangas consists of mainly younger granitic rocks. Syyry in Sievi is located in transition area of Svecofennidic rocks and granitic rocks. Olkiluoto in Eurajoki represents migmatites in southern Finland. For the field investigations area-specific programs were planned and executed. The field investigations have comprised airborne survey by helicopter, geophysical surveys, geological mappings and samplings, deep and shallow core drillings, geophysical and hydrological borehole measurements and groundwater samplings

Control room modernization at Finnish nuclear power plants - Two projects compared

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laarni, J.; Norros, L.

2006-01-01

The modernization of automation systems and human-machine interfaces is a current issue at both of the two nuclear power plants (i.e., Fortum's Loviisa plant and TVO's Olkiluoto plant) in Finland. Since the plants have been launched in the 1970's or 1980's, technology is in part old-fashioned and needs to be renewed. At Olkiluoto upgrades of the turbine operator systems have already been conducted; at Loviisa the first phase of the modernization project has just started. Basically, there is a question of the complete digitalization of the information streams at the two plants, and transition from a conventional hard-wired or hybrid control room to a screen-based one. The new human-machine interfaces will comprise new technology, such as PC workstations, soft control, touch screens and large-screen overall displays. The modernization of human-system interfaces is carried out in a stepwise manner at both plants. At both plants the main driver has not been the need to renew the user interfaces of the control room, but the need to upgrade the automation systems. In part because of this, there is a lack of a systematic top-down approach in which different aspects of human factors (HF) engineering are considered in relationship to higher level goals. Our aim here is to give an overview description of the control room modernization projects at the two plants and provide a preliminary evaluation of their progress to date. The projects are also compared, for example, in terms of duration, scope and phasing, and who is responsible for the realization of the project. In addition, we also compare experiences from the Finnish projects to experiences from similar projects abroad. The main part of the data used in this study is based on designers' and project members' interviews. (authors)

Nuclear power plant emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The guide sets forth detailed requirements on how the licensee of a nuclear power plant shall plan, implement and maintain emergency response arrangements. The guide is also applied to nuclear material and nuclear waste transport in situations referred to in guide YVL 6.5. Requirements on physical protection are presented in a separate guide of Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK)

SAFIR. The Finnish research programme on nuclear power plant safety 2003-2006. Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puska, E.

2006-12-01

Major part of Finnish public research on nuclear power plant safety during the years 2003-2006 has been carried out in the SAFIR programme. The programme has been administrated by the steering group that was nominated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM). The steering group of SAFIR has consisted of representatives from Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM), Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO), Fortum Power and Heat Oy, Fortum Nuclear Services Oy (Fortum), Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LTY). The key research areas of SAFIR have been (1) reactor fuel and core, (2) reactor circuit and structural safety, (3) containment and process safety functions, that was divided in 2005 into (3a) thermal hydraulics and (3b) severe accidents, (4) automation, control room and IT, (5) organisations and safety management and (6) risk-informed safety management. The research programme has included annually from 20 up to 24 research projects, whose volume has varied from a few person months to several person years. The total volume of the programme during the four year period 2003-2006 has been 19.7 million euros and 148 person years. The research in the programme has been carried out primarily by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). Other research units responsible for the projects include Lappeenranta University of Technology, Fortum Nuclear Services Oy, Helsinki University of Technology and RAMSE Consulting Oy. In addition, there have been a few minor subcontractors in some projects. The programme management structure has consisted of the steering group, a reference group in each of the seven research areas and a number of ad hoc groups in the various research areas. This report gives a short summary of the results of the SAFIR programme for the period January 2003 - November

Communications highlights of the Finnish nuclear industry in 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heininen-Ojanperae, Marke

1998-01-01

Full text: The Poster will contain two major issues i.e. description of the information Centre Renovation Project at Loviisa Power Plant and a presentation with material of the Sunray III Project. The Sunray Project: The Sunray Project is a national radiation project intended for all ninth graders in the Finnish school system. The project started two years ago. Attention has been focused on the topic of radiation. The topic has been dealt with in connection with different subject as history, English, Swedish, French, Finnish, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, health and home economics, as well as vocational counselling. The aim of the project is to provide extensive information on the subject of radiation and radioactivity, to investigate benefits and disadvantages and to help pupils understand units and see things in correct proportions. Sunray I focused on radon, Sunray II on light. Sunray III will start this autumn and its main theme will be risk perception. The programme of the Sunray III is structured as follows: Part One: Articles on risk provided by experts from different fields. Part Two: A risk management game Part Three: A special view on natural radiation. The project is coordinated by Economic Information Bureau in cooperation with the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and two major power companies Imatran Voima and Teollisuuden Voima. The coordinator of the Sunray III Project is Mr. Matti Lattu. The Information Centre Renovation Project (ICRP) The ICRP has been a two-year project which was completed for the 20th anniversary celebration of Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant in February 1997. The main emphasis was to harness the local natural environment as much as possible. The focal point of the project was presented by a new, large-sized map as a water-colour painting (a printed version), a bird-eye view of the Haestholinen Island environment. The information signs system was completely renewed. A large sea-water aquarium containing

Fire protection at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-11-01

The guide presents specific requirements for the design and implementation of fire protection arrangements at nuclear power plants and for the documents relating to the fire protection that are to be submitted to STUK (Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority). Inspections of the fire protection arrangements to be conducted by STUK during the construction and operation of the power plants are also described in this guide. The guide can also be followed at other nuclear facilities

Monitoring of occupational exposure at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The regulations concerning the monitoring of radiation doses of nuclear power plant workers and the reporting of radiation doses to the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) are specified in the guide. (10 refs.)

Quality assurance during operation of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The general requirements applicable to the quality assurance of the Finnish nuclear power plants are presented in the Council of State Decision (395/91) and in the guide YVL 1.4. This guide specifies the quality assurance requirements to be applied during the operation of the nuclear power plants as well as of the other nuclear facilities. Quality assurance applies to all the activities and organizations with a bearing on the safe operation of the nuclear power plants. (5 refs.)

Nuclear power plant operator licensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The guide applies to the nuclear power plant operator licensing procedure referred to the section 128 of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Degree. The licensing procedure applies to shift supervisors and those operators of the shift teams of nuclear power plant units who manipulate the controls of nuclear power plants systems in the main control room. The qualification requirements presented in the guide also apply to nuclear safety engineers who work in the main control room and provide support to the shift supervisors, operation engineers who are the immediate superiors of shift supervisors, heads of the operational planning units and simulator instructors. The operator licensing procedure for other nuclear facilities are decided case by case. The requirements for the basic education, work experience and the initial, refresher and complementary training of nuclear power plant operating personnel are presented in the YVL guide 1.7. (2 refs.)

Modernisation for maintaining and improving safety at Nordic nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammer, L.; Wahlstroem, B.; Simola, K.

1998-02-01

The safety practices in Finland and Sweden are described and compared in regard of effecting modernisation for safety of the nuclear plants in the two countries, considering new technology and advancing safety requirements as proposed for new reactors. Particular attention is given to strategies for applying new safety requirements to reactors built to earlier standards, and to the interplay between the nuclear utilities and the safety authorities. Overviews are given of past and current modernisation of the nuclear power plants in Finland and Sweden. The management procedures in controlling the implementation of modifications to the nuclear power plants are described and discussed in regard of prevailing differences between Finnish and Swedish practices. A formal modelling technique (SADT) was applied for capture of the essential contents of the relevant documented procedures. Two examples of recent plant modifications in the Finnish nuclear plants in Olkiluoto and Loviisa are described and discussed in greater detail. Recommendations are given. (au)

The history of Finnish nuclear non-proliferation policy during the cold war. What did the Finns know about nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahosniemi, A.

2004-03-01

This article is a summary of the Finnish historical survey during the Cold War. In the article, I try to show how the Finnish Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy during the Cold War is linked to the broader context of the Finnish foreign and security policy. In the research report I have focused on several questions. One of the most important is the following: What did the Finns know about nuclear weapons during the Cold War? And in this context scientific knowledge is meant by knowing something about nuclear weapons. Basically, the Finnish national based survey of nuclear non-proliferation policy attempted to investigate issues like the kind of research concerning Nuclear Technology in general, Nuclear weapons, and Nuclear weapon policies of super powers in Finland during the Cold War era. (author)

Ventilation systems and components of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The most important radiation and nuclear safety requirements for the design and manufacture of nuclear power plant ventilation systems and components are presented in the guide. Also the regulatory activities of the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) as regards the ventilation systems and components are explained. Documents and data which shall be submitted to STUK during the various phases of the regulatory procedure relating to the design, construction, commissioning and operation of the nuclear power plants are presented. (13 refs.)

Nuclear power plant control and instrumentation activities in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haapanen, P.; Wahlstroem, B.

1992-01-01

Finland has remarkable achievements in nuclear power. The existing four plants have some of the best operating records in the world - high capacity factors, low occupational doses and short refuelling outages. Public opinion was strongly turned against nuclear power after Chernobyl accident, and the previous government decided not to allow for the construction of a fifth nuclear unit during its period of reign. The opposition has however slowly been diminishing. According to the latest polls the opinion is almost balanced. Finnish power companies are going to file an application for a decision-in-principle to build a new plant to the new government appointed in April 1991. A readiness to start new construction project immediately after a positive political decision is made has been maintained during the intermediate period. Continuous research, development, modification and upgrading work provide important components of the good operational history of the Finnish nuclear power plants. Efforts have also been devoted to identifying possible new problems arising from the use of distributed digital C and I technology. The following a short description is summarizing recent activities related to the C and I-systems of the nuclear power plants. (author). 3 tab

Monitoring of radionuclides in the vicinities of Finnish nuclear power plants in 1999-2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikaeheimonen, T.K.; Klemola, S.; Illus, E.; Vartti, V.P.; Mattila, J.

2006-09-01

Monitoring of the radioactive substances around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1999-2001 in accordance with the regular environmental monitoring programmes. Altogether some 1000 samples are analysed annually from the terrestrial and aquatic environs of the two power plants. Trace amounts of activation products originating from airborne releases from the local power plants were detected in several air and deposition samples. At Loviisa, observations were made in five aerosol samples; at Olkiluoto in three samples during the reporting period. The concentrations were very low, being a few microbequerels per cubic metre. A similar pattern was tenable for the deposition samples, too. No traces of local discharge nuclides were detected in foodstuffs, drinking water or garden products. In mushrooms and wild berries picked from the Loviisa and Olkiluoto areas, only Chernobyl-derived cesium isotopes and natural 40 K were found. Local discharge nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms, sinking matter and sediments. The dominant artificial radionuclides in the vicinity of the power plants were still the caesium isotopes, especially 137 Cs, originating from the Chernobyl accident. In seawater, elevated 3 H concentrations were more frequent at Loviisa, but no traces of other discharge nuclides were detected. In indicator organisms and sinking matter the concentrations of local discharge nuclides were somewhat higher and their distribution range was wider in the sea area off Olkiluoto. Small amounts of 60 Co originating from the local power plant were detected in sediments at a distance of about 15 km from the Olkiluoto NPP. (orig.)

Defects in pipe supports attached to concrete structures at Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nykaenen, J.E.; Reponen, H.; Suominen, J.

1981-01-01

The Installation defects in expansion anchors of pipe supports detected in Sweden attracted the attention of the Finnish nuclear authority, the IRP in the autumm of 1979. No serious deficiencies were found at TVO I and II units where expansion anchors tightened by torguing are used. Preliminary inspections at Lo 2 construction plant revealed a great number of defectively installed expansion anchors of the type which is tightened by hitting. This resulted in placing Lo 1 unit into a cold shut-down condition for inspections and reparation. The shut-down lasted for three weeks during which time, in rooms inaccessible during operation, about 2000 expansion anchors were checked and 95% of them repaired or modified. After running up Lo 1 unit, the work continued in accessible rooms and at Lo2 unit for several months. The main fault was the failure to hit the anchor wedge deep enough into its cylinder. A contributing factor may have been too small hole diameters. The anchor tensile tests conducted at the site proved that the insufficient penetration of the wedge drastically reduces the load capacity. (orig./GL)

Beliefs concerning the reliability of nuclear power plant in-service inspections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kettunen, J.

1997-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate belief systems held by the officials responsible for the planning and supervision of NDT operations within the Finnish nuclear industry. They were asked to express their opinions on (1) the reliability of NDT methods in general, (2) the factors influencing the reliability of in-service inspections, and (3) the degree of reliability of the current inspections operations conducted by means of NDT methods in the Finnish nuclear power plants. Another goal of the study was to assess the adequacy of officials' beliefs (or belief systems). The research data was collected by interviewing representatives from Finnish power companies (Imatran Voima Oy and Teollisuuden Voima Oy), independent inspection organisations, and the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK). The adequacy of the beliefs expressed was assessed by means of the results obtained from international NDT reliability studies and on the basis of interviewees' own justification. (refs.)

Finnish solution to increased basic professional training needs in nuclear safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyrki-Ramaeki, R.; Koskinen, K.

2008-01-01

The Finnish nuclear energy organizations have in cooperation arranged basic professional training courses on nuclear safety due to fast increased education needs. Especially the new nuclear power plant construction project turned the situation acute, but there was also a need to preserve the tacit knowledge of many nuclear experts retiring within the next ten years. From 2003, the YK courses have been arranged five times with altogether 270 participants. The need of this kind of complementary education is still seen high in Finland, and the YK6 course is to be arranged during the next winter. There has not been seen to be legal incompetence due to the likelihood of bias in the education even that the participating organizations have differing and/or opposing roles. It is seen that a real safety culture presumes that nuclear safety is a common goal, and even the competition for market shares is no obstacle for cooperation. (authors)

Monitoring of radionuclides in the vicinities of Finnish nuclear power plants in 1995 and 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilus, E.; Ikaeheimonen, T.K.; Klemola, S.

2002-12-01

Monitoring radioactive substances around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1995 and 1996 in accordance with regular environmental monitoring programmes. Altogether, some 1000 samples are analysed annually from the terrestrial and aquatic environments of the two power plants. Trace amounts of activation products originating from airborne releases from the local power plants were detected in several air and deposition samples. At Loviisa, observations were made in twenty aerosol samples; at Olkiluoto they were made once during the reporting period. The concentrations were very low, from a few microbecquerels to a few tens of microbecquerels per cubic metre. A similar pattern was also tenable for the deposition samples. No traces of local discharge nuclides were detected in foodstuffs, drinking water, or garden products. In mushrooms and wild berries picked from the Loviisa area,only Chernobyl derived cesium isotopes and natural 40 K were found. Local discharge nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms, sinking matter, and sediments. The dominant artificial radionuclides in the vicinity of the power plants were still the cesium isotopes, especially 137 Cs but also 134 Cs, originating from the Chernobyl accident. In seawater, elevated 3H concentrations were more frequent in Loviisa, but no traces of other discharge nuclides were detected. At Olkiluoto, small amounts of activation products were detected in seawater samples taken during the maintenance outages at the power plant. The concentrations of local discharge nuclides in indicator organisms and sinking matter were somewhat higher and their distribution range was wider in the sea area of Olkiluoto. However, the concentrations were so low that they did not increase the radiation burden in the environment. Small amounts of 60 Co originating from the local power plant were detected in sediments at adistance of about 15 km from Olkiluoto. (orig.)

Evaluation of the Finnish nuclear waste management programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-05-01

In response to a request from Finland in November 1992, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) set up a Team of four experts (representatives from Belgium, Canada, Germany and Switzerland) to review the Finnish nuclear waste management programme within the auspices of IAEA's Waste Management programme (WATRP). During the early summer of 1993, the Team reviewed a large amount of documentation supplied by the Finnish industry, government and research organizations. The radioactive waste management programme areas within the Team's terms of reference included: (1) work being done in siting and building a conditional facility for spent nuclear fuel and siting and constructing a co-located repository, (2) the plans and activities for conditioning and disposing of the low and intermediate level waste from Finland's NPPs and (3) the plans for decommissioning Finland's reactors when that becomes necessary. The evaluation work and the recommendations of the Team are detailed in the report

Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation activities in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haapanen, P.; Wahlstroem, B.

1990-01-01

Finland has achieved some remarkable achievements in nuclear power production. Existing four plants have some of the best operating records in the world - high capacity factors, low occupational doses and short refuelling outages. Although public opinion was strongly turned against nuclear power after Chernobyl accident, and no decisions for new nuclear plants can be made before next elections in 1991, the nuclear option is still open. Utility companies are maintaining readiness to start new construction immediately after a positive political decision is made. One important component of the good operation history of the Finnish nuclear power plants is connected to the continuous research, development, modification and upgrading work, which is proceeding in Finland. In the following a short description is given on recent activities related to the I and C-systems of the nuclear power plants. (author). 2 tabs

Monitoring of Radio-nuclides in the Vicinities of Finnish Nuclear Power Plants in 2002-2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilus, E.; Klemola, S.; Vartti, V.-P.; Mattila, J.; Ikaeheimonen, T.K.

2000-03-01

The monitoring of radioactive substances round Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 2002-2004 in accordance with the regular environmental monitoring programmes. Altogether, some 1000 samples are analysed annually from the terrestrial and aquatic environs of the two power plants. Trace amounts of activation products originating from airborne releases from the local power plants were detected in several air and deposition samples taken from the close vicinities of the power plants. At Loviisa, observations were made in two; at Olkiluoto in three aerosol samples during the reporting period. Except for the naturally occurring beryllium-7, the concentrations of all radionuclides in the air samples were very low; from few microbequerels to few tens of microbequerels per cubic metre. A similar pattern was tenable for the deposition samples as well. The activity concentrations of cobalt-60 of local origin were at their highest 0.3 bequerels per square metre in one sample taken from Loviisa and in one sample taken from Olkiluoto. No traces of local discharge nuclides were detected in foodstuffs, drinking water or garden products. In mushrooms and wild berries picked up in 2004 from the Loviisa area, only Chernobyl-derived caesium isotopes and natural potassium-40 were detected. Local discharge nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms, sinking matter and sediments, which effectively accumulate radioactive substances. Besides tritium originating from local discharges, the most significant artificial radionuclide in the samples taken from the aquatic environs of the power plants was still caesium-137 originating from the Chernobyl accident (potassium-40 is a naturally occurring radionuclide). Elevated tritium concentrations were more frequent in the water samples from Loviisa. In indicator organisms and sinking matter, the observed concentrations of local discharge nuclides were generally somewhat higher and

Preserving and sharing tacit knowledge in a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuronen, T.; Saeaemaenen, K.; Jaervenpaeae, E.; Rintala, N.

2007-01-01

Tacit knowledge of nuclear experts is essential for reliable and competent performance of nuclear power plants. This report discusses preserving and sharing tacit knowledge in nuclear power plant context. Tacit knowledge as well as its structure and content in this complex and safety-critical context are described, and the role of tacit knowledge in expertise is discussed. In order to contribute to tacit knowledge preserving the challenges in and prerequisites for tacit knowledge sharing are identified. In addition, based on empirical case studies and literature, good practices and methods for tacit knowledge sharing are described. The report is based on the results of DIAMOND research project conducted in 2004-2006 in Finnish nuclear power plants, tacit knowledge, nuclear power plant, tacit knowledge sharing methods, expertise. (author abstract)

Monitoring of radionuclides in the environs of the Finnish nuclear power stations in 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klemola, S.; Ilus, E.; Sjoeblom, K.L.; Arvela, H.; Blomqvist, L.

1991-03-01

Monitoring of radionuclides around Finnish nuclear power plants continued in 1988 with the regular programmes. About 1000 samples were analysed from both terrestrial and aquatic environments.The dominant artificial radioactive substances in the vicinity of power plants were still the fallout nuclides from the Chernobyl accident, but the concentrations in all the objects monitored are lower than in the previous year. Trace amounts of activation products originating from the airborne releases of local power plants were detected in some air and deposition samples. Discharged nuclides were more abundant in the aquatic environment, especially in samples of indicator organisms. However, their contribution to the radiation doses received by the the public was very small. (orig.)

Operational Experience of Nuclear Fuel in Finnish Nuclear Power Plants (with Emphasis on WWER Fuel)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teraesvirta, R.

2009-01-01

The four operating nuclear reactors in Finland, Loviisa-1 and -2 and Olkiluoto-1 and -2 have now operated approximately 30 years. The overall operational experience has been excellent. Load factors of all units have been for years among the highest in the world. The development of the fuel designs during the years has enabled remarkable improvement in the fuel performance in terms of burnup. Average discharge burnup has increased more than 30 percent in all Finnish reactor units. A systematic inspection of spent fuel assemblies, and especially all failed fuel assemblies, is a good and useful practise employed in Finland. A possibility to inspect the fuel on site using a pool side inspection facility is a relatively economic way to find out root causes of fuel failures and thereby facilitate developing remedies to prevent similar failures in the future

Explaining the ratification of nuclear waste disposal by the finnish parliament: political culture and contextual factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruostetsaari, I.

2002-01-01

According to the Nuclear Energy Act the government's Decision in Principle (DiP) on the nuclear waste disposal needs to be ratified by Parliament. The DiP was ratified by general consent (159-3) on 18 May 2001. How we can explain this parliamentary consensus taking account that the previous DiP concerning construction of a new nuclear power plant was overruled in 1993 and the public debate on nuclear power is still pronounced. The explanation can be sought, together with the institutional arrangements, from two sources; on one hand from the Finnish political culture, i.e., traditional and inherited ways of decision-makers to make decisions and citizens' ways to react to those decisions, and on the other hand, from current contextual factors linking to nuclear waste management. (authors)

National nuclear power plant safety research 2011-2014. SAFIR2014 framework plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

A country utilising nuclear energy is presumed to possess a sufficient infrastructure to cover the education and research in this field, besides the operating organisations of the plants and a regulatory body. The starting point of public nuclear safety research programmes is that they provide the necessary conditions for retaining the knowledge needed for ensuring the continuance of safe and economic use of nuclear power, for development of new know-how and for participation in international cooperation. In fact, the Finnish organisations engaged in research in this sector have been an important resource which the various ministries, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the power companies have had at their disposal. Ministry of employment and the economy appointed a group to write the Framework Plan of the new programme. This report contains a proposal for the general outline of the programme, entitled as SAFIR2014 (SAfety of Nuclear Power Plants - Finnish National Research Programme). The plan has been made for the period 2011-2014, but it is based on safety challenges identified for a longer time span as well. Olkiluoto 3, the new nuclear power plant unit under construction and new decisions-in-principle have also been taken into account in the plan. The safety challenges set by the existing plants and the new projects, as well as the ensuing research needs do, however, converge to a great extent. The research programme is strongly based on the Chapter 7a of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act. The construction of new power plant units will increase the need for experts in the field in Finland. At the same time, the retirement of the existing experts is continuing. These factors together will call for more education and training, in which active research activities play a key role. This situation also makes long-term safety research face a great challenge. The Framework Plan aims to define the important research needs related to the safety

Beliefs concerning the reliability of nuclear power plant in-service inspections; Uskomuksia ydinvoimalaitoksissa suoritettavien tarkastusten luotettavuudesta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kettunen, J. [VTT Automation, Espoo (Finland)

1997-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate belief systems held by the officials responsible for the planning and supervision of NDT operations within the Finnish nuclear industry. They were asked to express their opinions on (1) the reliability of NDT methods in general, (2) the factors influencing the reliability of in-service inspections, and (3) the degree of reliability of the current inspections operations conducted by means of NDT methods in the Finnish nuclear power plants. Another goal of the study was to assess the adequacy of officials` beliefs (or belief systems). The research data was collected by interviewing representatives from Finnish power companies (Imatran Voima Oy and Teollisuuden Voima Oy), independent inspection organisations, and the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK). The adequacy of the beliefs expressed was assessed by means of the results obtained from international NDT reliability studies and on the basis of interviewees` own justification. (refs.).

Finnish Nuclear Power Development - Experiences and Lessons Learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kara, M.; Mattila, L.

1996-01-01

A small nation planning to make use of nuclear energy technology faces an important question: Is a nuclear energy programme just buying a rector and fuel from abroad? The Finnish experience says no. Making the best economic and technical choices depends on circumstances and good decisions can be based only on adequate research. Carrying out a successful nuclear energy programme demands high quality standards and, most importantly, nuclear safety is a national responsibility. Through training of personal and a deep understanding of the technology are necessary to meet these challenges. In Finland, comprehensive coverage of important scientific and technical aspects has been achieved economically by pooling the resources of all domestic parties having relevant expertise and by extensive international collaboration. (author)

New nuclear power plants and the electricity market competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruska, M.; Koreneff, G.

2009-11-01

The study assesses the effects the different nuclear power plant projects would have on crossownership, market concentration and market power in electricity market. The analyses are given both for Finnish and Nordic power markets. The authors feel that the electricity market should primarily be viewed as a common Nordic market in the future. During 2000 to 2008 the hours when Finland was an own price area ranged from 1 % to 29 % as annual averages. In the future it will be more and more seldom that Finland will become an own deficit price area, because the cross-border transmission capacity to Sweden will increase as will Finnish electricity production capacity. In addition, the extension of Nord Pool to the Baltic will increase the size of the market. The ownership of power plants is typically organized through power share companies in Finland. Two of the three nuclear power plant projects are joint ventures with several electricity producers and consumers. The current ownership relations and what effects the new projects might have on them were analyzed in this study. The competitiveness of different electricity production forms in the future was assessed using different market scenarios based on varying demand expectations. The capacity structure was assumed to stay quite unchanged, where the biggest change is expected to come from new renewable power capacity due to EU targets. Conventional condensing power production will decrease and Nordic electricity exports will increase in the future. The market concentration would increase in Finland with new nuclear plants, the most if Fortum were the builder. Vattenfall has a decidedly larger electricity production in the Nordic countries than Fortum, and Vattenfall's capacity would be unchanged by the new planned nuclear plants. The nuclear power plant projects do not therefore increase market concentration significantly on a Nordic level. Nuclear power is not used for day or hour regulation in Finland, which means

Assessment of control rooms of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norros, L.; Ranta, J.; Wahlstroem, B.

1983-05-01

To identify and correct the lacks in control rooms of operating power plants and plants under construction an extensive program has been started in the USA. In Finland as in other countries using nuclear power, the development in the USA particularly with regard to the requirements imposed on nuclear power plants is carefully followed. The changes in these requirements are sooner or later also reflected in the guidelines given by the Finnish authorities. It is therefore important to be able to form a notion of how the new requirements apply to Finnish conditions. Especially it is important to review the latest assessment guidelines for control room implementation (NUREG-0700). Thus we can avoid possible over hasty conclusions. The aim of the analysis of the method and experiments presented in NUREG 0700 report was to create a basis for assessment of the suitability of the method for Finnish control room implementation. The task group has made a general methodical analysis of the method, and partly tried it in assessment of the TVO2 control room. It is obvious that direct conclusions from the American situation are misleading. It can be considered unfeasible to follow the American requirements as such, because they can lead to unwanted results. If the review is limited to control room details, the NRC program (checklist) can be considered successful. It can also be used during planning to observation of small discrepancies. However, we can question the applicability of some requirements. It is, though, more essential that the control room entity has neither in this nor in several other programs been reached or standardized. In spite of the difficulties we should try to reach this most important goal. (author)

Evaluation of incident analysis practices in the Finnish nuclear power industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kettunen, J.; Laakso, K

1999-12-01

This report provides an analysis and evaluation of incident analysis methods and practices applied by the Finnish regulator Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the two Finnish nuclear power plant operators Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) and Fortum Power and Heat Oy (Fortum). The study was conducted in 1998-99. The research material was based on tape-recorded interviews as well as internal directions and event investigation reports provided by the three participating organisations. A framework for analysis and evaluation was developed as part of the study on the basis of referenced root cause analysis and operating experience review methods, selected (foreign) inspection reports, scientific papers and research literature. Well-known inspection methods and principles, such as ASSET and MTO/HPES, provided important guidance to this work. This study shows that although all the evaluated organisations had rather comprehensive incident analysis arrangements, more focus and priorisation is needed. Deficiencies were identified mostly in the areas of recording, assessment and classification of new events and observations, use of existing operating experience data, utilisation of information technology based tools, and allocation of work and resources. In general the direct causes of identified events can be detected and removed, but more emphasis should be given to the prevention of recurrence. This requires a more efficient feedback loop that can be created and maintained by focusing on the root causes of significant events, tasks and activities in which the originating errors occurred, and weaknesses of defensive barriers, and by implementing periodic operational experience reviews. A strategy document for the operating experience feedback process, and firm procedures for the initial assessment of new events and the carrying out of data analyses would help. (orig.)

Finnish Research Programme on Nuclear Waste Management (KYT). Framework Programme for 2002-2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasilainen, K.

2002-12-01

The new Finnish research programme on nuclear waste management (KYT) will be conducted in 2002 - 2005. This framework programme describes the starting point, the basic aims and the organisation of the research programme. The starting point of the KYT programme is derived from the present state and future challenges of Finnish nuclear waste management. The research programme is funded mainly by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM), the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Posiva Oy, Fortum Oyj, Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO), and the National Technology Agency (Tekes). As both regulators and implementors are involved, the research programme concentrates on neutral research topics that must be studied in any case. Methods and tools for experimental and theoretical studies fall in this category. State of the art -reviews on relevant topics also create national know-how. Topics that directly belong to licensing activities of nuclear waste management are excluded from the research programme. KYT carries out technical studies that increase national know-how in the area of nuclear waste management. The aim is to maintain and develop basic expertise needed in the operations derived from the national nuclear waste management plan. The studies have been divided into strategic studies and studies enhancing the long-term safety of spent nuclear fuel disposal. Strategic studies support the overall feasibility of Finnish nuclear waste management. These studies include basic options and overall safety principles related to nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear waste management. In addition, general cost estimates as well as general safety considerations related to transportations, low- and medium level wastes, and decommissioning are included in strategic studies. Studies supporting the long-term safety of spent fuel disposal include issues related to performance assessment methodology, release of radionuclides from the repository, behaviour of bedrock and groundwater

Monitoring of radioactivity in the environs of Finnish nuclear power stations in 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilus, E.; Sjoeblom, K.L.; Aaltonen, H.; Klemola, S.; Arvela, H.

1987-06-01

Results of the environmental programmes monitoring radioactivity around the Finnish nuclear power stations in 1986 are reported. After the end of April the fallout nuclides from the Chernobyl accident predominated in all samples taken from the environs of the two power stations Loviisa and Olkiluoto. Radionuclides originating from the Finnish power stations were detected mainly in samples taken from the aquatic environment. The concentrations of the locally discharged nuclides were very low in comparison with the fallout nuclides and their impact on the radiation doses of the population was insignificant. Both nuclear power stations are situated in the main fallout area in Finland. The results of these large monitoring programmes give a good picture of the behaviour of the Chernobyl fallout in the specific areas in Finland

Digital control in Finnish power industry applications and some research and development activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haapanen, P.; Winter, M.

1986-01-01

First applications of digital control systems in Finnish power plants stem from a few years time. There are at present in operation two conventional peat fuelled district heating power plants and two others are under construction. In existing nuclear power plants digital control systems are not used. Feasibility studies of a new fifth nuclear power plant have been carried out and also preliminary design exercises on its control systems has been done. It seems that the use of a digital control system in this plant is an alternative worthy of consideration. The existing digital control applications and future plans for their use in the Finnish power industry are described. The rest of the paper is devoted to the reliability questions. Software reliability is a new problem area emanating from the use of programmable digital systems. A description of a cooperative project on these questions between VTT and OECD Halden Project is given. VTT has also developed an interactive computer program, RELVEC, for plant and control system reliability analysis. The structure and use of this system is described

Developing a computerized aging management system for concrete structures in finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Neshawy, F.; Piironen, J.; Sistonen, E.; Vesikari, E.; Tuomisto, M.; Hradil, P.; Ferreira, M.

2013-01-01

Finland has four nuclear reactors units in two power plants. The first unit started operation in 1977 and in the early 1980's all four units were in use. During the last few years the aging management of the Nuclear Power Plant's (NPP) concrete structures has grown an important issue because the existing structures are reaching the end of their licensed operating lifetime (about 40 years). Therefore the nuclear power companies are developing aging management systems to avoid premature degradation of NPP facilities and to be able to extend their operating lifetime. This paper is about the development of a computerized ageing management system for the nuclear power plants concrete structures. The computerized ageing management system is built upon central database and implementation applications. It will assist the personnel of power companies to implement the aging management activities at different phases of the lifetime of a power plant. It will provide systematic methods for planning, surveillance, inspection, monitoring, condition assessment, maintenance and repair of structures. (authors)

Ordinance on the Finnish Centre of Radiation and Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This Ordinance was adopted in implementation of the 1983 Act setting up the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and the 1987 Nuclear Energy Act and entered into force on 1 November 1990. The Ordinance specifies the tasks of the Centre, as provided under both Acts, and gives it several supplementary responsibilities. In addition to its overall competence in respect of radiation safety, the Centre will carry out research into and supervise the health effects of radiation and maintain a laboratory for national measurements in that field. The Ordinance also sets out the Centre's organisation chart and the staff duties [fr

Plans to expand nuclear power production in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laaksonen, J.

2002-01-01

The Finnish Government made in January 2002 a Decision in Principle which concludes that constructing of a new nuclear power plant in Finland is in line with the overall good of the society. The Finnish Parliament ratified the decision in May 2002. Based on this decision, the electricity generating company TVO is authorised to continue preparations for the construction of a new nuclear power plant unit

Data feature: World nuclear power plant capacity 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

At this point, the future of the nuclear power industry remains largely in doubt. The gloomy predictions about global warming have done little to convince politicians and the public of the benefits of nuclear power. Meanwhile, the setbacks to nuclear have continued apace: The United States has failed to take the expected lead in ordering new nuclear plants. And President-elect Bill Clinton does not consider nuclear a major part of his energy strategy. The situation looks equally bleak in other countries. Canada's biggest utility, Ontario Hydro, was forced under intense political pressure to defer its ambitious nuclear expansion program until after the year 2010. In Europe, the suspension of France's Superphenix fast-breeder reactor in June could stop progress on the technology indefinitely. And the Finnish parliament dropped plans for expansion of nuclear power from its national energy strategy. Developing and semi-industrialized countries, such as Brazil and Argentina, have shown little progress, taking upwards of twenty years to complete plants already under construction. Nuclear's problems seem always to hinge on economics. Nuclear has little chance of revival during the current global recession, especially in countries fighting for their long-term economic survival. That is why NUKEM believes nuclear power will not grow much in the CIS and Eastern Europe beyond the projects already in the advanced stages of construction. What's more, the longer countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Finland keep their nuclear expansion plans on hold, the harder it will be to get the political support to restart them. So far in 1992, only two nuclear plants, with a combined capacity of 1,520 MWe, have gone into commercial operation. One more 1,330 MWe reactor may start up by year's end. By then, NUKEM expects world nuclear plant capacity to stand at 330.3 GWe

Economics of nuclear power in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarjanne, Risto; Luostarinen, Kari

2002-01-01

The nuclear power generation fits perfectly with the long duration load profile of the Finnish power system. The good performance of the Finnish nuclear power has yielded benefits also to the consumers through its contribution to decreasing the electricity price. Furthermore, the introduction of nuclear power has resulted in a clear drop in carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation in the shift of 1970's and 1980's. In the year 2001 the four Finnish nuclear power units at Loviisa and Olkiluoto generated 22.8 TWh electricity, equivalent to 28 per cent of the total consumption. Loviisa power station has a net output capacity of 2 x 488 MW, and Olkiluoto 2 x 840 MW. The capacity factors of the four nuclear units have been above 90 per cent, which are among the highest in the world. The energy-intensive process industries in particular have strong belief in nuclear power. In November 2000, Teollisuuden Voima company (TVO) submitted to the Finnish Government an application for decision in principle concerning the construction of a new nuclear power plant unit. The arguments were among other things to guarantee for the Finnish industry the availability of cheap electric energy and to meet the future growth of electricity consumption in Finland. The carbon-free nuclear power also represents the most efficient means to meet the Greenhouse Gas abatement quota of Finland. Simultaneously, the energy policy of the Government includes intensive R and D and investment support for the renewable energy sources and energy conservation, and the objective is also to replace coal with natural gas as much as reasonably possible. The fifth nuclear unit would be located in one of the existing Finnish nuclear sites, i.e. Olkiluoto or Loviisa. The size of the new nuclear unit would be in the range of 1000 to 1600 MW electric. The ready infrastructure of the existing site could be utilised resulting in lower investment cost for the new unit. The Finnish Government accepted the

New Finnish radiation law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niittyla, A.

1992-01-01

The new Finnish Radiation Act will enter into force on 1.1.1992. The Act aims to protect man's health against the harmful effects of radiation. The Act applies to the utilization of ionising radiation and natural radiation as well as non-ionising radiation. It emphasises the fact that a licensed organization or entrepreneur carrying out a practice which causes radiation exposure is responsible for the safety of the activity. The organization or entrepreneur in question is also obliged to take care of radioactive waste. The provisions of the Radiation Act which apply to monitoring of worker exposure are also applied to the use of nuclear energy. Activities involving the use of radiation and the use of nuclear energy are regulated by one authority, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. (author)

Compiling Utility Requirements For New Nuclear Power Plant Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrakka, Eero

2002-01-01

Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) submitted in November 2000 to the Finnish Government an application for a Decision-in-Principle concerning the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Finland. The actual investment decision can be made first after a positive decision has been made by the Government and the Parliament. Parallel to the licensing process, technical preparedness has been upheld so that the procurement process can be commenced without delay, when needed. This includes the definition of requirements for the plant and preliminary preparation of bid inquiry specifications. The core of the technical requirements corresponds to the specifications presented in the European Utility Requirement (EUR) document, compiled by major European electricity producers. Quite naturally, an amount of modifications to the EUR document are needed that take into account the country- and site-specific conditions as well as the experiences gained in the operation of the existing NPP units. Along with the EUR-related requirements concerning the nuclear island and power generation plant, requirements are specified for scope of supply as well as for a variety of issues related to project implementation. (author)

Reliability of sprinkler systems. Exploration and analysis of data from nuclear and non-nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roenty, V.; Keski-Rahkonen, O.; Hassinen, J.P.

2004-12-01

Sprinkler systems are an important part of fire safety of nuclear installations. As a part of effort to make fire-PSA of our utilities more quantitative a literature survey from open sources worldwide of available reliability data on sprinkler systems was carried out. Since the result of the survey was rather poor quantitatively, it was decided to mine available original Finnish nuclear and non-nuclear data, since nuclear power plants present a rather small device population. Sprinklers are becoming a key element for the fire safety in modern, open non-nuclear buildings. Therefore, the study included both nuclear power plants and non-nuclear buildings protected by sprinkler installations. Data needed for estimating of reliability of sprinkler systems were collected from available sources in Finnish nuclear and non-nuclear installations. Population sizes on sprinkler system installations and components therein as well as covered floor areas were counted individually from Finnish nuclear power plants. From non-nuclear installations corresponding data were estimated by counting relevant things from drawings of 102 buildings, and plotting from that sample needed probability distributions. The total populations of sprinkler systems and components were compiled based on available direct data and these distributions. From nuclear power plants electronic maintenance reports were obtained, observed failures and other reliability relevant data were selected, classified according to failure severity, and stored on spreadsheets for further analysis. A short summary of failures was made, which was hampered by a small sample size. From non-nuclear buildings inspection statistics from years 1985.1997 were surveyed, and observed failures were classified and stored on spreadsheets. Finally, a reliability model is proposed based on earlier formal work, and failure frequencies obtained by preliminary data analysis of this work. For a model utilising available information in the non-nuclear

The Finnish Experience with the Construction of Onkalo. Licensing of a repository for nuclear waste in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avolahti, Jaana

2014-01-01

Pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Act (990/1987), a license holder whose operations result, or have resulted, in the generation of nuclear waste must perform all measures included in the management of nuclear waste and preparation thereof and bear all the costs of nuclear waste management. Under law, spent nuclear fuel is regarded as nuclear waste. According to the amendment made to the Nuclear Energy Act in 1994, nuclear waste generated in Finland must be handled, stored and permanently disposed of in Finland. Nuclear waste generated elsewhere may not be handled, stored and permanently disposed of in Finland. The Finnish nuclear legislation defines spent fuel as nuclear waste and requires that it has to be disposed of in the Finnish bedrock. Over 30 years of systematic R and D has been carried out to develop the repository concept, site selection, technologies, safety assessment and the regulatory approach. Activities are based on the Finnish Government's long term strategies since 1983. The stepwise development and future plans for disposal are presented in Table 1. The licensing procedure for a disposal facility has several steps that are similar to all nuclear facilities in Finland and are defined in Nuclear Energy Act (990/1987) and Decree (161/1988). These licensing steps are: - Decision in Principle (DiP); - Construction License; - Operational License. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) shall be conducted prior to the first authorization step of a major nuclear waste facility. The EIA procedure for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel from three units of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and two units of the Loviisa nuclear power plant was carried out in 1998-1999 and extended to one more unit at Olkiluoto in 2008- 2009. Pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Act, before making the DiP the Government shall ascertain whether the municipality planned as the location of the nuclear facility is in favour of the facility, and ensure that no facts indicating a

The role of tacit knowledge and the challenges in transferring it in the nuclear power plant context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyttinen, L.; Helminen, N.

2004-01-01

Explicit knowledge and implementation of proper IT systems have been of concern of many organizations which recognize the importance of managing knowledge for safety operation and sustainable competitive advantage. Data and document management systems have been implemented to capture, store and distribute explicit knowledge. However, recently also awareness of the existence of tacit knowledge in organizations has arisen. What kind of role this undocumented knowledge, which the employees have acquired through their careers, plays in nuclear power plant context? This paper explores the role of tacit knowledge and the challenges related to its transfer at the two Finnish nuclear power plants. (author)

Research plan on programmable automation systems in nuclear power plants (OHA) in 1995-1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haapanen, P.; Pulkkinen, U.; Korhonen, J.

1995-05-01

The main purpose of nuclear energy research is to ensure the safety and continued development of Finnish nuclear power plants - a task which places high demands on expertise needed to support the work of public authorities and power companies. A factor necessarily influencing the orientation of the research is the Parliament's decision of late 1993 against further nuclear capacity in the country. Therefore the main emphasis of research shall be directed towards the ensuring the safety of existing plants and the continuous development of their safety along the progress of the science and technology. Anyhow, the preparedness for constructing new plants shall also be preserved. The utilization of programmable digital automation technology for the safety critical functions is the most significant change in the new plants, but also in existing plants this technology will be used for replacing and complementing the ageing automation systems. The safety evaluation of programmable digital systems can not be based on methods applied to conventional analog systems but new evaluation methods and tools must be developed for the assessing of their acceptability. (5 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.)

Distribution and content of ellagitannins in Finnish plant species.

Science.gov (United States)

Moilanen, Johanna; Koskinen, Piia; Salminen, Juha-Pekka

2015-08-01

The results of a screening study, in which a total of 82 Finnish plant species were studied for their ellagitannin composition and content, are presented. The total ellagitannin content was determined by HPLC-DAD, the detected ellagitannins were further characterized by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS and divided into four structurally different sub-groups. Thirty plant species were found to contain ellagitannins and the ellagitannin content in the crude extracts varied from few mgg(-1) to over a hundred mgg(-1). Plant families that were rich in ellagitannins (>90mgg(-1) of the crude extract) were Onagraceae, Lyhtraceae, Geraniaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Fagaceae and some species from Rosaceae. Plant species that contained moderate amounts of ellagitannins (31-89mgg(-1) of the crude extract) were representatives of the family Rosaceae. Plant species that contained low amounts of ellagitannins (1-30mgg(-1) of the crude extract) were representatives of the families Betulaceae and Myricaceae. The specific ellagitannin composition of the species allowed their chemotaxonomic classification and the comparison between the older Cronquist's classification and the nowadays preferred Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Finnish nuclear safety research program 'SAFIR2010'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

A panel of three members has been asked by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE) to evaluate SAFIR2010, the Finnish research program on nuclear power plant safety. The program was established for the period 2007-2010 to help maintain expertise in nuclear safety, to integrate young people into the research in order to help assure the future availability of expertise, and to support international collaborations. The program is directed by a Steering Group, appointed by MEE, with representatives from all organizations involved with nuclear safety in Finland. SAFIR2010 has consisted of approximately 30 projects from year to year that fall into eight subject areas: 1. Organization and human factors 2. Automation and control room 3. Fuel and reactor physics 4. Thermal hydraulics 5. Severe accidents 6. Structural safety of reactor circuit 7. Construction safety 8. Probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) For each of these areas there are Reference Groups that provide oversight of the projects within their jurisdiction. The panel carried out its evaluation by reviewing copies of relevant documents and, during a one-week period 17-22 January 2010, meeting with key individuals. The results of the panel are provided as general conclusions, responses to questions posed by MEE, challenges and recommendations and comments on specific projects in each subject area. The general conclusions reflect the panel's view that SAFIR2010 is meeting its objectives and carrying out quality research. The questions addressed are: (a.) Are the achieved results in balance with the funding? Are the results exploited efficiently in practice? (b.) How well does the expertise cover the field? Is the entire SAFIR2010 programme balanced to all different fields in nuclear safety? Does it raise efficiently new experts? (c.) Have the 2006 evaluation results been implemented successfully into SAFIR2010 program? (d.) Challenges and recommendations. In general the panel was very positive about SAFIR

The Nuclear Waste Fund Inquiry. Financing of nuclear waste management in Sweden and Finland and the cost control system in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The report describes the Finnish system for financing nuclear waste management, and compares it to the swedish one. It gives an analysis of the economic effects for the waste management financing of an early shut-down of a nuclear power plant, and of a change to a new system for financing the waste management, more like the Finnish one. Finally the cost for the Swedish nuclear waste management, as estimated by SKB, is scrutinized. 25 refs

National Nuclear Power Plant Safety Research 2003-2006. Proposal for the Content and Organisation of a New Research Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-11-01

A country utilising nuclear energy is presumed to possess a sufficient infrastructure to cover the education and research in this field, besides the operating and supervisory organisations of the plants. The starting point of public nuclear safety research programmes is that they provide the necessary conditions for retaining the knowledge needed for ensuring the continuance of safe and economic use of nuclear power, for development of new know-how and for participation in international cooperation. In fact, the Finnish organisations engaged in research in this sector have been an important resource which the various ministries, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the power companies have had at their disposal. The Steering Group to the Finnish Research Programme on Nuclear Power Plant Safety (FINNUS), which was launched upon the assignment of the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Energy, appointed in spring 2002 a group to plan the contents of the new programme. This report contains a proposal for the general outline of the programme, preliminarily entitled as SAFIR (SAfety of Nuclear Power Plants - Finnish National Research Programme). The plan has been made for the period 2003-2006, but it is based on safety challenges identified for a longer time span as well. The favourable decision-in-principle on a new nuclear power plant unit adopted by Parliament has also been taken into account in the plan. The safety challenges set by the existing plants and the new plant unit, as well as the ensuing research needs do, however, converge to a great extent. The construction of the new power plant unit will increase the need for experts in the field in Finland. At the same time, the retirement of the existing experts is continuing. These factors together will call for more education and training, in which active research activities play a key role. This situation also makes long-term safety research face a great challenge. The general plan aims to define the

Nuclear is coming back in Finland. The finnish deputies approved the design of a new reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canton, Ch.

2002-01-01

The finnish Parliament agreed the construction of a fifth reactor in the country to reach an increase of 25% of its electric power consumption in 2015. The government decision and the impacts on the european nuclear industry are analyzed. (A.L.B.)

The use of hardfacing alloys in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saarinen, K.; Aaltonen, P.

1987-08-01

In this report the structure and applications of cobalt-, nickel- and iron-based hardfacing alloys are reviewed. Cobalt-based hardfacing alloys are widely used in nuclear power plant components due to their good wear and corrosion resistance. However, the wear and corrosion products of the cobalt-containing alloys are released into the primary cooling water and transported to the reactor core where cobalt (Co-59) is transmuted to the radioactive isotope Co-60. It has been estimated that cobalt-based hardfacing alloys are responsible for up to 90% of the total cobalt released to the primary water circuit. The cobalt based hardfacing alloys are used in such components as valves, control blade pins and pumps, etc. In the Finnish nuclear power plants they are not used in in-core components. The replacement of cobalt-containing alloys in primary cooling system components is studied in many laboratories, but substitutes for the cobalt-based alloys in the complete range of nuclear hardfacing applications have so far not been found. However, the modified austenitic stainless steels have showed good resistance to galling wear and are therefore considered substitutes for cobalt-based alloys

Assessment of reliability and maintenance of motor operated valves at Finnish NPPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, K.; Haenninen, S.; Simola, K.

1994-01-01

This paper summarizes two studies on motor operated valve (MOV) failure and maintenance experiences in Finnish nuclear power plants. In the first study, described in section 2 of this paper, the failure reports of MOVs at Finnish BWR units from a nine years' time period were analyzed in a systematic way. The dominant failure mechanisms were identified and time-dependencies in failure occurrence were studied. This study initiated an experience based reliability centered maintenance (RCM) analysis of motor operated valve drives, which is summarized in chapter 3 of this paper. The RCM analysis resulted in the identification and proposal of the most suitable and effective maintenance tasks for consideration. 9 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

Environmental effects of thermal and radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants in the boreal brackish-water conditions of the northern Baltic Sea

OpenAIRE

Ilus, Erkki

2009-01-01

During recent decades, thermal and radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants into the aquatic environment have become the subject of lively debate as an ecological concern. The target of this thesis was to summarize the large quantity of results obtained in extensive monitoring programmes and studies carried out in recipient sea areas off the Finnish nuclear power plants at Loviisa and Olkiluoto during more than four decades. The Loviisa NPP is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finla...

Regulatory control of nuclear safety in Finland. Annual report 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tossavainen, K. [ed.

2000-06-01

This report concerns the regulatory control of nuclear energy in Finland in 1999. Its submission to the Ministry of Trade and Industry by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is stipulated in section 121 of the Nuclear Energy Decree. STUK's regulatory work was focused on the operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants as well as on nuclear waste management and safeguards of nuclear materials. The operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants was in compliance with the conditions set out in their operating licences and with current regulations, with the exception of some inadvertent deviations from the Technical Specifications. No plant events endangering the safe use of nuclear energy occurred. The individual doses of all nuclear power plant workers remained below the dose threshold. The collective dose of the workers was low, compared internationally, and did not exceed STUK's guidelines at either nuclear power plant. The radioactive releases were minor and the dose calculated on their basis for the most exposed individual in the vicinity of the plant was well below the limit established in a decision of the Council of State at both Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants. STUK issued statements to the Ministry of Trade and Industry about the environmental impact assessment programme reports on the possible nuclear power plant projects at Olkiluoto and Loviisa and about the continued operation of the research reactor in Otaniemi, Espoo. A Y2k-related safety assessment of the Finnish nuclear power plants was completed in December. In nuclear waste management STUK's regulatory work was focused on spent fuel storage and final disposal plans as well as on the treatment, storage and final disposal of reactor waste. No events occurred in nuclear waste management that would have endangered safety. A statement was issued to the Ministry of Trade and Industry about an environmental impact assessment report on a proposed final

Regulatory control of nuclear safety in Finland. Annual report 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tossavainen, K.

2000-06-01

This report concerns the regulatory control of nuclear energy in Finland in 1999. Its submission to the Ministry of Trade and Industry by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is stipulated in section 121 of the Nuclear Energy Decree. STUK's regulatory work was focused on the operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants as well as on nuclear waste management and safeguards of nuclear materials. The operation of the Finnish nuclear power plants was in compliance with the conditions set out in their operating licences and with current regulations, with the exception of some inadvertent deviations from the Technical Specifications. No plant events endangering the safe use of nuclear energy occurred. The individual doses of all nuclear power plant workers remained below the dose threshold. The collective dose of the workers was low, compared internationally, and did not exceed STUK's guidelines at either nuclear power plant. The radioactive releases were minor and the dose calculated on their basis for the most exposed individual in the vicinity of the plant was well below the limit established in a decision of the Council of State at both Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants. STUK issued statements to the Ministry of Trade and Industry about the environmental impact assessment programme reports on the possible nuclear power plant projects at Olkiluoto and Loviisa and about the continued operation of the research reactor in Otaniemi, Espoo. A Y2k-related safety assessment of the Finnish nuclear power plants was completed in December. In nuclear waste management STUK's regulatory work was focused on spent fuel storage and final disposal plans as well as on the treatment, storage and final disposal of reactor waste. No events occurred in nuclear waste management that would have endangered safety. A statement was issued to the Ministry of Trade and Industry about an environmental impact assessment report on a proposed final disposal facility for

World-class outage performance of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paavola, M.

1998-01-01

The production of the Olkiluoto power plant units covered 17% of the electricity consumption in Finland in 1997; the total share of nuclear energy was 27% of the electricity consumed in the country. Based on Finnish experience, nuclear energy is a safe, environmentally friendly and economic way to produce electricity provided that the plants and their personnel are well taken care of. TVO's policy is to keep the plant units in good condition and technically modern. This requires continuous investments in the plant. In maintenance, attention is paid to monitoring the condition of the plant and to preventive maintenance aiming at avoiding disturbances in production. TVO has chosen continuous development as the operational line develops the plant by annual investments and performs the necessary modifications during planned annual outages trying to avoid long production interruptions. The load factors of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant have been high. The average load factor during the last decade was over 93%. The most significant single factor in the production deficits is the amount or electricity, which has not been produced because of the annual outages. Due to this, special attention has been paid to the performance of the annual outages. TVO aims at continuous development of the annual outage procedure. A centralized task management system makes it possible to perform simultaneously more tasks than before. The company has also invested in equipment and systems, which ease and speed up servicing. Normal outage length varies between 10 and 16 days. By keeping the plant units as modern as possible and in good condition we facilitate reaching TVO's target, which is also stated in TVO's slogan 'always 40 years lifetime'. (author)

Views on quality assurance at Finnish and Swedish nuclear power plants and at Halden Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammar, L.; Lidh, B.; Wahlstroem, B.; Reiman, T.

2001-06-01

The paper reports on a study within the Nordic Nuclear Safety Research, NKS on quality systems at nuclear installations in Finland, Norway and Sweden. In the study a total of 74 people at the NPPs in Barsebaeck, Forsmark, Loviisa, Olkiluoto, Oskarshamn and Ringhals, and at the research reactor in Halden were interviewed in the period 30 August to 13 December 2000 concerning their views in regard of quality and quality systems. The study was concluded with a seminar held in the Ringhals nuclear power plant in Januar 2001. The study covered a number of aspects in regard of quality management, including the quality concept, quality systems, topical quality issues and approaches, rules and procedures, competency and training, the process approach to quality management, the promotion of quality consciousness and future prospects. The study reflects the significant progress made in the management of quality in nuclear power in the Nordic countries since the early phase in the seventies. The most distinctive characteristic of today's approach to quality is seen in that responsibility for the quality is assumed directly in conjunction with the working processes. It could be noted that the work patterns at the nuclear installations have been largely modified during the recent years as a result of persistent endeavours to continuously improve the quality of operation. Challenges were seen in currently reduced revenues due to descending electricity prices and the likely prospect of further increased regulatory safety requirements. The report is aimed for those working with quality issues at the nuclear power plants as well as for those interested in quality management in general or in the safety aspects of nuclear power in particular. (au)

Nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Data concerning the existing nuclear power plants in the world are presented. The data was retrieved from the SIEN (Nuclear and Energetic Information System) data bank. The information are organized in table forms as follows: nuclear plants, its status and type; installed nuclear power plants by country; nuclear power plants under construction by country; planned nuclear power plants by country; cancelled nuclear power plants by country; shut-down nuclear power plants by country. (E.G.) [pt

Procedure for getting safety classed concrete structures approved by Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halme, Ville-Juhani

2015-01-01

Posiva is preparing geological final disposal in the Finnish bedrock in Olkiluoto, Eurajoki. The final disposal facility includes encapsulation plant and underground repository. Most of the main civil structures are concrete structures. STUK is the supervising authority in civil structures. The National Building Code of Finland and STUK's Regulatory Guide on nuclear safety (YVL) are the most important instructions when constructing concrete structures into nuclear installation. Posiva has classified concrete structures in two classes according STUK's YVL-guidance: EYT (non-nuclear) and Safety Class 3 (SC 3, nuclear safety significance). When building SC 3 concrete structures, specific protocol must be followed. Protocol includes planned routines for design, construction, supervision, quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) activities. Documents relating concrete structures must be approved by Posiva and STUK before construction work. After structures have been designed and actual building is ongoing, there are two main steps. Before concreting, readiness inspection for concreting must be arranged. Readiness inspection will be arranged according to a specific plan and the date must be informed to STUK. After establishing readiness for concreting, casting work can begin. Once concrete structures are done, inspected and approved, final documentation according to a quality control plan will be reviewed by Posiva. After Posiva's approval, final documentation will be sent for STUK's approval. In the end STUK will give the permission for commissioning of the concrete structures after approved commissioning inspection. The document is made up of an abstract and a poster

Finnish energy outlook - role of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santaholma, J.

2004-01-01

New nuclear power partly covers additional electricity demand and replaces retiring power plants in coming decades after 2010. Nuclear energy secures stable, economical and predictable electricity price as well as operation environment for the electricity intensive industry for coming decades. Nuclear energy also reduces the dependence on electricity import of Finland. Nuclear energy partly enables, together with renewable, fulfilment of Finland's Kyoto commitments. Solutions for nuclear waste management are a condition sine qua non for sound nuclear programmes. Funding has been arranged. All this is carried out in Finland in a transparent way and in accordance with any democratic requirements. (author)

Nuclear waste management programme 2003 for the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

A joint company Posiva Oy founded by nuclear energy producing Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) and Fortum Power and Heat Oy coordinates the research work of the companies on nuclear waste management in Finland. In Posiva's Nuclear Waste Management Programme 2003, an account of the nuclear waste management measures of TVO and Fortum is given as required by the sections 74 and 75 of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Degree. At first, nuclear waste management situation and the programme of activities are reported. The nuclear waste management research for the year 2003 and more generally for the years 2003-2007 is presented

Nuclear waste management plan of the Finnish TRIGA reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmenhaara, S.E.J. . Author

2004-01-01

The FiR 1 - reactor, a 250 kW Triga reactor, has been in operation since 1962. The main purpose to run the reactor is now the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The BNCT work dominates the current utilization of the reactor. The weekly schedule allows still one or two days for other purposes such as isotope production and neutron activation analysis. According to the Finnish legislation the research reactor must have a nuclear waste management plan. The plan describes the methods, the schedule and the cost estimate of the whole decommissioning waste and spent fuel management procedure starting from the removal of the spent fuel, the dismantling of the reactor and ending to the final disposal of the nuclear wastes. The cost estimate of the nuclear waste management plan has to be updated annually and every fifth year the plan will be updated completely. According to the current operating license of our reactor we have to achieve a binding agreement, in 2005 at the latest, between our Research Centre and the domestic nuclear power companies about the possibility to use the Olkiluoto final disposal facility for our spent fuel. There is also the possibility to make the agreement with USDOE about the return of our spent fuel back to USA. If we want, however, to continue the reactor operation beyond the year 2006, the domestic final disposal is the only possibility. In Finland the producer of nuclear waste is fully responsible for its nuclear waste management. The financial provisions for all nuclear waste management have been arranged through the State Nuclear Waste Management Fund. The main objective of the system is that at any time there shall be sufficient funds available to take care of the nuclear waste management measures caused by the waste produced up to that time. The system is applied also to the government institutions like FiR 1 research reactor. (author)

Environmental effects of thermal and radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants in the boreal brackish-water conditions of the northern Baltic Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilus, E.

2009-08-01

During recent decades, thermal and radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants into the aquatic environment have become the subject of lively debate as an ecological concern. Recently, an increasing demand for facts has appeared in context with the Environmental Impact Assessment procedures that are being in progress for planned new nuclear power units in Finland. The target of this thesis was to summarize the large quantity of results obtained in extensive monitoring programmes and studies carried out in recipient sea areas off the Finnish nuclear power plants at Loviisa and Olkiluoto during more than four decades. Especially in the conditions specific for the northern Baltic Sea, where biota is poor and adapted to relatively low temperatures and to seasonal variation with a cold ice winter and a temperate summer, an increase in temperature may cause increased environmental stress to the organisms. Furthermore, owing to the brackish-water character of the Baltic Sea, many organisms live there near the limit of their physiological tolerance. On the other hand, the low salinity increases the uptake of certain radionuclides by many organisms in comparison with oceanic conditions. The sea areas surrounding the Finnish nuclear power plants differ from each other in many respects (efficiency of water exchange, levels of nutrients and other water quality parameters, water salinity and consequent differences in species composition, abundance and vitality of biota). In addition, there are differences in the discharge quantities and discharge design of the power plants. In this thesis the environmental effects of the two power plants on the water recipients are compared and their relative significance is assessed

Overview on recent results of the VTT's research programme on assuring nuclear power plant structural safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rintamaa, R.; Aaltonen, P.; Kauppinen, P.; Keinaenen, H.; Talja, H.; Valo, M.; Wallin, K.; Toerroenen, K.

1994-01-01

An overview of the Finnish national research programme on the Nuclear Power Plant Structural Safety, being carried out from 1990 to 1994, is presented. The focus of this paper is on recent results in the areas of experimental and computational fracture mechanics, material deterioration due to neutron irradiation, corrosion and water chemistry, nondestructive testing methods and procedures, and verification of structural integrity assessment methods by large scale component tests. (author). 21 refs, 21 figs, 2 tabs

The role of tacit knowledge and the challenges in transferring it: A case study at the Finnish NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyttinen, L.; Rintala, N.

2005-01-01

Explicit knowledge and implementation of proper IT systems have been of concern of many organisations which recognise the importance of managing knowledge for safety operation and sustainable competitive advantage. Data and document management systems have been implemented to capture, store and distribute explicit knowledge. However, recently also awareness of the existence of tacit knowledge in organisations has arisen. What kind of role does this undocumented knowledge, which the employees have acquired throughout their careers, play in nuclear power plant context? This paper explores the role of tacit knowledge and the challenges related to its transfer at the two Finnish nuclear power plants. (author)

Finnish support programme to IAEA safeguards. Annual report 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarvainen, M.

1995-05-01

Implementation of the Finnish Support Programme to IAEA Safeguards (FINSP) during the calender year in question is summarized. FINSP is carried out trough separate tasks concentrating on verification of nuclear material, training and expert services to the IAEA. In addition to the Finnish summary, the report includes detailed description of each task in English

Finnish energy outlook - role of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santaholma, J.

2004-01-01

In this presentation author deals with production a consumption of electricity in the Finland. New nuclear power partly covers additional electricity demand and replaces retiring power plants in coming decades after 2010. Nuclear energy secures stable, economical and predictable electricity price as well as operation environment for the electricity intensive industry for coming decades. Nuclear energy also reduces the dependence on electricity import of Finland. Nuclear energy partly enables, together with renewable, fulfilment of Finland's Kyoto commitments. Solutions for nuclear waste management are a condition sine qua non for sound nuclear programmes. Funding has been arranged. All this is carried out in Finland in a transparent way and in accordance with any democratic requirements. (author)

Structural analysis of nuclear components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikonen, K.; Hyppoenen, P.; Mikkola, T.; Noro, H.; Raiko, H.; Salminen, P.; Talja, H.

1983-05-01

THe report describes the activities accomplished in the project 'Structural Analysis Project of Nuclear Power Plant Components' during the years 1974-1982 in the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory at the Technical Research Centre of Finland. The objective of the project has been to develop Finnish expertise in structural mechanics related to nuclear engineering. The report describes the starting point of the research work, the organization of the project and the research activities on various subareas. Further the work done with computer codes is described and also the problems which the developed expertise has been applied to. Finally, the diploma works, publications and work reports, which are mainly in Finnish, are listed to give a view of the content of the project. (author)

Progressive Finland sees progress with nuclear projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalton, David [NucNet, Brussels (Belgium)

2016-02-15

The Finnish Hanhikivi-1 reactor project is firmly on track and a licence has been granted for construction of a final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel - the first final repository in the world to enter the construction phase. Significant progress has been made with plans for Finland to build its sixth nuclear reactor unit at Hanhikivi. Fennovoima's licensing manager Janne Liuko said the company expects to receive the construction licence for the Generation III+ Hanhikivi-1 plant in late 2017. The application was submitted to the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy in June 2015.

Can we ever build lots of new nuclear plants?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kidd, St.

2004-01-01

The order to construct the fifth high-power Finnish reactor is both a significant even for the West-European nuclear power sector and a promising event for the development of the world nuclear power sector. One considers the peculiar features of the economic situation in Finland as compared with other countries. One underlines that to ensure the competitive power of new nuclear power units in the liberalized energy markets one shall ensure essential reduction of the capital costs [ru

Severe accidents and nuclear containment integrity (SANCY). SANCY summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindholm, I. [VTT Processes, Espoo (Finland)

2004-07-01

SANCY project investigates physical phenomena related to severe nuclear accidents with importance to Finnish nuclear power plants. Currently the major topics are the ex-vessel coolability issues, long-term severe accident management and containment leak tightness and adoption and development of new calculation tools considering also the needs of the future Olkiluoto 3 plant. SANCY employs both experimental and analytical methods. (orig.)

The site of a nuclear power plant and environmental safety; Ydinvoimalaitoksen sijaintipaikka ja ympaeristoen turvallisuus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rossi, J. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

2001-11-01

guidelines concerning nuclear power plant safety and in the guides of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published the Safety Standard concerning the site selection. There are two nuclear power plant sites in Finland; Olkiluoto in Eurajoki municipality and Haestholmen in the town of Loviisa; both of these are also proposed for the site of a new nuclear power plant unit in the application for decision in principle submitted to the Council of State by Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO). The Finnish sites are located on the coast, but in other countries there are also inland sites. The surroundings of the Finnish sites are relatively sparsely populated compared with e.g. the sites in USA and in Germany. Concerning external initial events, Finland is calm area, e.g. bedrock is stable and severe weather phenomena are not occurring. Persons and their organisations participating in the design, building and operation of a nuclear power plant as well as controlling these activities have an essential role in creating, maintaining and development of safety. Thus particular attention is paid to their ability and operational preconditions as well as to the quality control methods and safety culture of their organisations. The safety of the plant is based partly on design basis, according to which the plant shall survive in a sufficient way from incidents and accidents. Design bases include internal events of the power plant and external events such as flood, earthquake and crash of an aeroplane. The power plant is aimed to be constructed in such a way that it would not be damaged in an accident to such extent that radioactive material would be released to the environment. Applying appropriate rescue or radiation protection measures such as local sheltering, iodine tablets and evacuation can mitigate offsite damages possibly followed by the release caused by an accident. In addition to deterministic analyses accomplished to prove out

Review of safety related control room function research based on experience from nuclear power plants in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juslin, K.; Wahlstroem, B.; Rinttilae, E.

1985-01-01

A comprehensive human engineering research programme was established in the second half of the 1970's at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The research is performed in cooperation with the utility companies Imatran Voima Oy (IVO) and Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) and includes topics such as Handling of alarm information, Disturbance analysis systems, Assessment of control rooms and Validation of safety parameter display systems. Reference is also made to the Finnish contribution to the OECD Halden Reactor Project (Halden) and the Nordic Liaison Committee for Atomic Energy (NKA) research projects. In this paper feasible realization alternatives of safety related control room functions are discussed on the basis of experience from the nuclear power plants in Finland, which at present are equipped with extensive process computer systems. A proposal for future power plant information systems is described. It is intended that this proposal will serve as the basis for future computer systems at nuclear power plants in Finland. (author)

Regulatory control of nuclear facility valves and their actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The methods and procedures by which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) regulates valves and their actuators in nuclear power plants and in other nuclear facilities are specified in the guide. The scope of regulation depends on the Safety Class of the valve and the actuator in question. The Safety Classification principles for the systems, structures and components of the nuclear power plants are described in the guide YVL 2.1 and the regulatory control of the nuclear facility safety valves is described in the guide YVL 5.4

International Working Group on Life Management of Nuclear Power Plants. (IWG-LMNPP). Regular meeting. Working material. V. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

National programs of Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Czech Republic, Canada, France and Germany related to nuclear power plants life management presented at the Technical Committee Meeting are published in this volume. Finnish report VTT-TIED-1843 included in this volume was already included separately in the INIS Database. The main features of the reports are oriented towards extension of NPP lifetime and conditions indispensable to achieve in order to fulfil the safety requirements including testing the mechanical properties of relevant reactor components

Nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margulova, T.Ch.

1976-01-01

The textbook focuses on the technology and the operating characteristics of nuclear power plants equiped with pressurized water or boiling water reactors, which are in operation all over the world at present. The following topics are dealt with in relation to the complete plant and to economics: distribution and consumption of electric and thermal energy, types and equipment of nuclear power plants, chemical processes and material balance, economical characteristics concerning heat and energy, regenerative preheating of feed water, degassing and condenser systems, water supply, evaporators, district heating systems, steam generating systems and turbines, coolant loops and pipes, plant siting, ventilation and decontamination systems, reactor operation and management, heat transfer including its calculation, design of reactor buildings, and nuclear power plants with gas or sodium cooled reactors. Numerous technical data of modern Soviet nuclear power plants are included. The book is of interest to graduate and post-graduate students in the field of nuclear engineering as well as to nuclear engineers

The utmost ends of the nuclear fuel cycle. How Finns perceive the risks of uranium mining and nuclear waste management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Litmanen, Tapio (Univ. of Jyvaeskylae, Dept. of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)), e-mail: Tapio.Litmanen@jyu.fi

2010-09-15

The aim of the paper is to analyze how Finns perceive the risks of uranium mining and nuclear waste management. In social science quite much research has been done on the issue of how people perceive the risks of nuclear waste and nuclear waste management, but not much has been done in analyzing the similarities and differences of risk perception (and ethical considerations) of the utmost ends of nuclear fuel cycle. There have been some changes in Finnish nuclear policy during ongoing decade, which make this type of study interesting: decision on the fifth nuclear power plant was done in 2002, the site for spent nuclear fuel has been chosen in 2001 and in 2010 the Parliament will decide which of three competitors will get the permission to construct the sixth nuclear power plant. This national nuclear renaissance was accompanied with the uranium boom, which started in 2005. New international interest in nuclear power had raised the price of uranium. International mining companies started uranium explorations because Finnish bedrock is the oldest in Europe, and it is similar with and also of the same age as is that of the great uranium producers, Canada and Australia. The analysis of risk perceptions between uranium questions and spent nuclear fuel is based on the national survey data (N=1180) gathered in 2007

The utmost ends of the nuclear fuel cycle. How Finns perceive the risks of uranium mining and nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litmanen, Tapio

2010-09-01

The aim of the paper is to analyze how Finns perceive the risks of uranium mining and nuclear waste management. In social science quite much research has been done on the issue of how people perceive the risks of nuclear waste and nuclear waste management, but not much has been done in analyzing the similarities and differences of risk perception (and ethical considerations) of the utmost ends of nuclear fuel cycle. There have been some changes in Finnish nuclear policy during ongoing decade, which make this type of study interesting: decision on the fifth nuclear power plant was done in 2002, the site for spent nuclear fuel has been chosen in 2001 and in 2010 the Parliament will decide which of three competitors will get the permission to construct the sixth nuclear power plant. This national nuclear renaissance was accompanied with the uranium boom, which started in 2005. New international interest in nuclear power had raised the price of uranium. International mining companies started uranium explorations because Finnish bedrock is the oldest in Europe, and it is similar with and also of the same age as is that of the great uranium producers, Canada and Australia. The analysis of risk perceptions between uranium questions and spent nuclear fuel is based on the national survey data (N=1180) gathered in 2007

Exchange of dose data within nuclear activities in Finland and Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilkamo, O.; Malmqvist, L.

1988-01-01

In the Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, only Sweden and Finland have introduced nuclear power into energy production. The first still operating nuclear power plant was commissioned in Sweden in 1972 and in Finland in 1977. It was soon noticed that there was a growing tendency that small groups of workers used to move at short notice between Finland and Sweden to work in the nuclear power plants in both countries during maintenance periods. In 1983, the regulatory authorities for radiation protection, National Institute of Radiation Protection in Sweden and Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety in Finland, surveyed the radiation exposure to those workers. The authorities have brought about an arrangement by means of which the central dose data bases in the other country since 1984 have been able to record without delay the radiation doses received by her own citizens in the nuclear power plants of the neighbouring country. In addition, the authorities have confirmed the procedures of controlling dose data on workers from the neighbouring country, before those workers start working in a nuclear power plant regulated by the national authorities in question. The paper describes the starting point of the activity, the established practice and the experience achieved. Until now, the practical experiences are positive. The total radiation exposure to the workers in the Swedish and Finnish nuclear power plants has been relatively low at each plant site. Thus, the main objective in the exchange of dose data, is to achieve a good radiation protection control

Examples for cost reduction in the design of a WWER-1000 nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukkola, T.

1991-01-01

In a design project during recent years, a version for Finnish conditions has been and is being developed based on the Soviet WWER-1000 PWR plant with four horizontal steam generators. The plant will have a double containment. The inner containment will be a dry full pressure prestressed concrete containment with liner and the secondary containment will be made of ordinary concrete. Four train safety approach is adopted. It is supposed that the plant is to be designed according to the present Finnish safety requirements, e.g. severe reactor accidents are considered. When striving at an economic plant no compromises are made as far as safety is concerned. This paper describes possible cost reduction by redesigning the main technical equipment. (author). 1 ref

Nuclear power. Volume 1. Nuclear power plant design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedersen, E.S.

1978-01-01

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DESIGN is intended to be used as a working reference book for management, engineers and designers, and as a graduate-level text for engineering students. The book is designed to combine theory with practical nuclear power engineering and design experience, and to give the reader an up-to-date view of the status of nuclear power and a basic understanding of how nuclear power plants function. Volume 1 contains the following chapters; (1) nuclear reactor theory; (2) nuclear reactor design; (3) types of nuclear power plants; (4) licensing requirements; (5) shielding and personnel exposure; (6) containment and structural design; (7) main steam and turbine cycles; (8) plant electrical system; (9) plant instrumentation and control systems; (10) radioactive waste disposal (waste management) and (11) conclusion

Regulatory aspects of Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant (EPR-1600) (Draft, 12 Sept. 2005)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandberg, J.; Tiippana, P.

2005-01-01

A 1600 MWe European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) supplied by the Framatome ANP - Siemens Consortium is under construction at the Olkiluoto site in Finland. Current international safety requirements and especially French and German operating experience have been applied in the design. Finnish requirements and operating experience have also been applied, especially regarding site-specific features. Severe accidentmanagement and protection against a collision of a large passenger airplane are implemented in the plant design. The plant safety features, licensing procedure, Finnish regulatory requirements, changes to the original EPR design, project quality management and regulatory control are discussed. (author)

Documents pertaining to safety control of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) controls the safety of nuclear facilities in Finland. This control encompasses on one hand the evaluation of plant safety on the basis of plans and analyses pertaining to the plant and on the other hand the inspection of plant structures, systems and components as well as of operational activity. STUK also monitors plants operational experience feedback and technical developments in the field, as well as the development of safety research and takes the necessary measures on their basis. Guide YVL 1.1 describes how STUK controls the design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. The documents to be submitted to STUK are described in the nuclear energy legislation and YVL guides. This guide presents the mode of delivery, quality, contents and number of documents to be submitted to STUK

Integrated Nuclear Recycle Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patodi, Anuj; Parashar, Abhishek; Samadhiya, Akshay K.; Ray, Saheli; Dey, Mitun; Singh, K.K.

2017-01-01

Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB), Tarapur proposes to set up an 'Integrated Nuclear Recycle Plant' at Tarapur. This will be located in the premises of BARC facilities. The project location is at coastal town of Tarapur, 130 Km north of Mumbai. Project area cover of INRP is around 80 hectares. The plant will be designed to process spent fuel received from Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). This is the first large scale integrated plant of the country. INRP will process spent fuel obtained from indigenous nuclear power plants and perform left over nuclear waste disposal

Background information for NDT qualification of Finnish disposal canisters of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkimo, M.; Pitkaenen, J.

2013-12-01

This report presents a review to basic concepts, which are applied in the qualification of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. The qualification systems developed and used in some countries are briefly described in the beginning of the report. Anyway the report mainly discusses the qualification practices applied in the Finnish nuclear industry. The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in the YVL Guide 3.8 define the Finnish qualification approach applied for the in-service inspections. The principles presented in this document follow the views of the international organisations: Nuclear Regulator Working Group (NRWG) and European Network for Inspection and Qualification (ENIQ). For the practical qualification work a national guideline is established using so called SP-documents that include specific rules and instructions for execution of qualifications in accordance with YVL Guide 3.8 principles. Altogether the Finnish qualification system can be seen very well to follow the European (ENIQ) methodology. The report discusses several qualification terms and documents. Thus the normally necessary tasks and parts of a qualification are described. The qualification can be seen as a project that includes several tasks, which will be performed by different parties. Enough resources and time should be reserved for the planning and control of a qualification project to ensure its fluent progress. Some tasks are discussed in the report taking into account the situation in the qualification cases that are seen to be linked to the inspections of disposal canisters of spent fuel. (orig.)

Background information for NDT qualification of Finnish disposal canisters of spent fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkimo, M. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Pitkaenen, J.

2013-12-15

This report presents a review to basic concepts, which are applied in the qualification of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. The qualification systems developed and used in some countries are briefly described in the beginning of the report. Anyway the report mainly discusses the qualification practices applied in the Finnish nuclear industry. The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in the YVL Guide 3.8 define the Finnish qualification approach applied for the in-service inspections. The principles presented in this document follow the views of the international organisations: Nuclear Regulator Working Group (NRWG) and European Network for Inspection and Qualification (ENIQ). For the practical qualification work a national guideline is established using so called SP-documents that include specific rules and instructions for execution of qualifications in accordance with YVL Guide 3.8 principles. Altogether the Finnish qualification system can be seen very well to follow the European (ENIQ) methodology. The report discusses several qualification terms and documents. Thus the normally necessary tasks and parts of a qualification are described. The qualification can be seen as a project that includes several tasks, which will be performed by different parties. Enough resources and time should be reserved for the planning and control of a qualification project to ensure its fluent progress. Some tasks are discussed in the report taking into account the situation in the qualification cases that are seen to be linked to the inspections of disposal canisters of spent fuel. (orig.)

Nuclear plant simulation using the Nuclear Plant Analyzer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beelman, R.J.; Laats, E.T.; Wagner, R.J.

1984-01-01

The Nuclear Plant Analyzer (NPA), a state-of-the-art computerized safety analysis and engineering tool, was employed to simulate nuclear plant response to an abnormal transient during a training exercise at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) in Washington, DC. Information relative to plant status was taken from a computer animated color graphics display depicting the course of the transient and was transmitted to the NRC Operations Center in a manner identical to that employed during an actual event. Recommendations from the Operations Center were implemented during on-line, interactive execution of the RELAP5 reactor systems code through the NPA allowing a degree of flexibility in training exercises not realized previously. When the debriefing was conducted, the RELAP5 calculations were replayed by way of the color graphics display, adding a new dimension to the debriefing and greatly enhancing the critique of the exercise

Report of the Committee for Nuclear Energy Competence in Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

In October 2010, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy set up a committee to examine the long-term competence needs of the nuclear energy sector. The study was implemented by a group of experts ensuring extensive representation of the nuclear energy sector. One of the key conclusions was that comprehensive high-standard national competence is needed by nuclear sector companies and research institutes, as well as by authorities. Training of experts and sector-specific research activities call for long-term investments and cooperation, both among national actors and on an international scale. Competence needs in Finland's nuclear energy sector are growing. The nuclear power plant units presently in operation, as well as the Olkiluoto 3 unit under construction, require a competent labour force on a continuous basis. Posiva must have readiness for commencing final disposal of spent fuel by 2020. The new nuclear power projects - TVO's Olkiluoto 4 and Fennovoima's nuclear power plant, which were given favourable decisions-in-principle by the Government in 2010 - will particularly increase the need for experts. In its statement when ratifying these decisions-in-principle on 1 July 2010 Parliament required that the Government will, for its own part, create the preconditions for utilising Finnish labour, knowledge and business life as far as possible in nuclear power projects. The appointment letter of 27 October 2010 assigns the following duties to the Committee for Nuclear Energy Competence: (1) to survey the present personnel resources of nuclear actors; (2) to conduct an extensive review of the need for Finnish basic higher education, postgraduate education, further education and supplementary training; (3) to investigate the opportunities for Finnish participation in the forthcoming major nuclear power plant projects; (4) to survey the research infrastructure available to nuclear actors and research; (5) to examine Finnish research activities and

RETU. The Finnish research programme on reactor safety. Interim report 1995 - May 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanttola, T.; Puska, E.K.

1997-08-01

The Finnish national research programme on Reactor Safety (RETU, 1995-1998) concentrates on the search of safe limits of nuclear fuel and the reactor core, accident management methods and risk management of the operation of nuclear power plants. The annual volume of the programme has been about 26 person years and the annual funding FIM 15 million. This report summarises the structure and objectives of the programme, research fields included and the main results obtained during the period 1995 - May 1997. In the field of operational margins of a nuclear reactor, the behaviour of high burnup nuclear fuel is studied both in normal operation and during power transients. The static and dynamic reactor analysis codes are developed and validated to cope with new fuel designs and complicated three-dimensional reactivity transients and accidents. Research on accident management aims at development and validation of calculation methods needed to plan preventive measures and to train the personnel to severe accident mitigation. Other goals are to reduce uncertainties in phenomena important in severe accidents and to study actions planned for accident management. In the field of risk management probabilistic methods are developed for safety related decision making and for complex phenomena and event sequences. Effects of maintenance on nuclear power plant safety are studied and more effective methods for the assessment of human reliability and safety critical organisations are searched

RETU. The Finnish research programme on reactor safety. Interim report 1995 - May 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanttola, T; Puska, E K [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Nuclear Energy; eds.

1997-08-01

The Finnish national research programme on Reactor Safety (RETU, 1995-1998) concentrates on the search of safe limits of nuclear fuel and the reactor core, accident management methods and risk management of the operation of nuclear power plants. The annual volume of the programme has been about 26 person years and the annual funding FIM 15 million. This report summarises the structure and objectives of the programme, research fields included and the main results obtained during the period 1995 - May 1997. In the field of operational margins of a nuclear reactor, the behaviour of high burnup nuclear fuel is studied both in normal operation and during power transients. The static and dynamic reactor analysis codes are developed and validated to cope with new fuel designs and complicated three-dimensional reactivity transients and accidents. Research on accident management aims at development and validation of calculation methods needed to plan preventive measures and to train the personnel to severe accident mitigation. Other goals are to reduce uncertainties in phenomena important in severe accidents and to study actions planned for accident management. In the field of risk management probabilistic methods are developed for safety related decision making and for complex phenomena and event sequences. Effects of maintenance on nuclear power plant safety are studied and more effective methods for the assessment of human reliability and safety critical organisations are searched. 135 refs.

Implications of the Fukushima accident of nuclear safety in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valtonen, Keijo

2012-01-01

A severe accident took place in Japan at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. The immediate cause of the accident was a tsunami caused by the earthquake and the fact that the consequences of large tsunamis were not adequately considered in the design of the plant. Although tsunamis are not considered a real threat in Europe, the European Council requested on 25 March 2011 the European Nuclear Safety Regulators' Group (ENSREG) and the European Commission to undertake a comprehensive and transparent risk and safety assessment (''stress test'') of European nuclear power plants [ENSREG 2011A]. This report is prepared to evaluate the safety provisions of Finnish Nuclear Power Plants as specified in the European ''stress tests''. The technical description is based on the Licensees' reports on the issues within these specifications [Fortum 2011; TVO 2011]. Furthermore, evaluation on the current situation carried out by Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is provided, and the possibilities to further enhance safety in the Finnish NPPs are presented. According to the ENSREG specifications, earthquakes, flooding and extreme weather conditions were studied in the stress tests. In addition, consequences of losses of some safety functions and finally management of severe accidents were studied, irrespective of their probabilities. The European stress tests cover in Finland all the operating nuclear power plants (Loviisa 1 and 2, Olkiluoto 1 and 2) and the unit under construction (Olkiluoto 3). The intermediate storages of spent fuel in Loviisa and in Olkiluoto are included in the stress tests. The new NPP units to be constructed which do not yet have a construction license, (Fennovoima 1, Olkiluoto 4) are not considered in the European stress tests. (orig.)

Why low doses at Finnish NPPs?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahlstroem, B.; Vaehaemaa, T.

1995-01-01

The Finnish nuclear power units - two BWRs (ABB Atom) and two PWRs (VVER) -are known for their high load factors. Finland's reactors have topped the world ranking list for more than ten years. This explains why their collective radiation doses are among the lowest in the world. During normal operation a collective dose of less than ten millisieverts per month is received at one site

Nuclear power plant siting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulkiewicz, M.; Navratil, J.

The construction of a nuclear power plant is conditioned on territorial requirements and is accompanied by the disturbance of the environment, land occupation, population migration, the emission of radioactive wastes, thermal pollution, etc. On the other hand, a nuclear power plant makes possible the introduction of district heating and increases the economic and civilization activity of the population. Due to the construction of a nuclear power plant the set limits of negative impacts must not be exceeded. The locality should be selected such as to reduce the unfavourable effects of the plant and to fully use its benefits. The decision on the siting of the nuclear power plant is preceded by the processing of a number of surveys and a wide range of documentation to which the given criteria are strictly applied. (B.H.)

Images of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashiguchi, Katsuhisa; Misumi, Jyuji; Yamada, Akira; Sakurai, Yukihiro; Seki, Fumiyasu; Shinohara, Hirofumi; Misumi, Emiko; Kinjou, Akira; Kubo, Tomonori.

1995-01-01

This study was conducted to check and see, using Hayashi's quantification method III, whether or not the respondents differed in their images of a nuclear power plant, depending on their demographic variables particularly occupations. In our simple tabulation, we compared subject groups of nuclear power plant employees with general citizens, nurses and students in terms of their images of a nuclear power plant. The results were that while the nuclear power plant employees were high in their evaluations of facts about a nuclear power plant and in their positive images of a nuclear power plant, general citizens, nurses and students were overwhelmingly high in their negative images of a nuclear power plant. In our analysis on category score by means of the quantification method III, the first correlation axis was the dimension of 'safety'-'danger' and the second correlation axis was the dimension of 'subjectivity'-'objectivity', and that the first quadrant was the area of 'safety-subjectivity', the second quadrant was the area of 'danger-subjectivity', the third quadrant as the area of 'danger-objectivity', and the forth quadrant was the area of 'safety-objectivity'. In our analysis of sample score, 16 occupation groups was compared. As a result, it was found that the 16 occupation groups' images of a nuclear power plant were, in the order of favorableness, (1) section chiefs in charge, maintenance subsection chiefs, maintenance foremen, (2) field leaders from subcontractors, (3) maintenance section members, operation section members, (4) employees of those subcontractors, (5) general citizens, nurses and students. On the 'safety-danger' dimension, nuclear power plant workers on the one hand and general citizens, nurses and students on the other were clearly divided in terms of their images of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear power plant workers were concentrated in the area of 'safety' and general citizens, nurses and students in the area of 'danger'. (J.P.N.)

Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants in the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This 2003 version of Elecnuc contents information, data and charts on the nuclear power plants in the world and general information on the national perspectives concerning the electric power industry. The following topics are presented: 2002 highlights; characteristics of main reactor types and on order; map of the French nuclear power plants; the worldwide status of nuclear power plants on 2002/12/3; units distributed by countries; nuclear power plants connected to the Grid by reactor type groups; nuclear power plants under construction; capacity of the nuclear power plants on the grid; first electric generations supplied by a nuclear unit; electrical generation from nuclear plants by country at the end 2002; performance indicator of french PWR units; trends of the generation indicator worldwide from 1960 to 2002; 2002 cumulative Load Factor by owners; nuclear power plants connected to the grid by countries; status of license renewal applications in Usa; nuclear power plants under construction; Shutdown nuclear power plants; exported nuclear power plants by type; exported nuclear power plants by countries; nuclear power plants under construction or order; steam generator replacements; recycling of Plutonium in LWR; projects of MOX fuel use in reactors; electricity needs of Germany, Belgium, Spain, Finland, United Kingdom; electricity indicators of the five countries. (A.L.B.)

The role of the Finnish Meteorological Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savolainen, A.L.; Valkama, I.

1993-01-01

The Finnish Meteorological Institute is responsible for the dispersion forecasts for the radiation control in Finland. In addition to the normal weather forecasts the duty forecaster has the work station based three dimensional trajectory model and the short range dispersion model YDINO at his disposal. For expert use, dispersion and dose model TRADOS is available. The TRADOS, developed by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and by the Technical Research Centre of Finland, includes a meteorological data base that utilizes the numerical forecasts of the High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM) weather prediction model. The transport is described by three-dimensional air-parcel trajectories. For each time step the integrated air concentrations as well as dry and wet deposition for selected groups of radionuclides are computed. In the operational emergency application only external dose rates are computed. In the statistical version also individual and population dose estimates via several external and internal pathways can be made. The TRADOS is currently run under two separate user interfaces. The trajectory and dispersion model interface includes ready-made lists of the nuclear power plants and other installations. The dose model has a set of release terms for several groups of radionuclides. There is also a graphical module that enables the computed results to be presented in grid or also isolines. A new graphical user interface and presentation lay-outs redesigned as visual and end-user friendly as possible and with the aim of possible and with the aim of possible adoption as a Nordic standard will be installed in the near future. (orig.)

76 FR 1469 - Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-10

... Nuclear Power Plant, LLC; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment... Plant, LLC, the licensee, for operation of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2... Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (NUREG-1437...

Decision on the fifth nuclear unit in Finland - 17 years of decision-making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santaholma, Juhani [Perusvoima Oy (Finland)

1993-07-01

This paper shows the process of decision making on the fifth nuclear power plants in Finland that took 17 years. The opinion polls show that about 50% of the Finns are opposing the construction of the fifth NPP, 30% are in favour and 20% don't know or have no firm opinion. This situation has lasted for more than two years. The opinion of the Finnish industry and power utilities is, however, that if the decision makers have courage to make positive decision it will not lead to a revolution in Finland. The industry and the utilities have for many years done systematic work with the media, both the press and the electronic. The media debate has been rather low key reporting, but any incidents get a lot of space, especially events at the Russian and Baltic plants near the Finnish borders. There is a constant flow of reporting from Chernobyl and Chelyabinsk and other questionable Russian facilities in the Finnish media. The five Swedish reactors shut-down for repair have been widely reported. It also seems that false reports and articles in the leading international media, press and TV, find their way to Finnish media, as well. In other respects, the media climate in Finland is rather businesslike. It is evident that the sensational TV programmes have an effect on the Finnish nuclear opinion, both within the public and the political decision makers. The antinuclear lobbying in Finland is rather low key. There has been no big demonstrations as the ordinary people do not participate in them. The nuclear opponents have, however, a well working and sympathy arousing organization within the political parties and to a limited extend within the media. They also work in a very professional way in the environmental voluntary organizations. The politically, the industry is waiting for positive signals from the Government. The nuclear decision is considered as one of the most important in this respect. the situation is rather complex, but the industry and the utilities are

Decision on the fifth nuclear unit in Finland - 17 years of decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santaholma, Juhani

1993-01-01

This paper shows the process of decision making on the fifth nuclear power plants in Finland that took 17 years. The opinion polls show that about 50% of the Finns are opposing the construction of the fifth NPP, 30% are in favour and 20% don't know or have no firm opinion. This situation has lasted for more than two years. The opinion of the Finnish industry and power utilities is, however, that if the decision makers have courage to make positive decision it will not lead to a revolution in Finland. The industry and the utilities have for many years done systematic work with the media, both the press and the electronic. The media debate has been rather low key reporting, but any incidents get a lot of space, especially events at the Russian and Baltic plants near the Finnish borders. There is a constant flow of reporting from Chernobyl and Chelyabinsk and other questionable Russian facilities in the Finnish media. The five Swedish reactors shut-down for repair have been widely reported. It also seems that false reports and articles in the leading international media, press and TV, find their way to Finnish media, as well. In other respects, the media climate in Finland is rather businesslike. It is evident that the sensational TV programmes have an effect on the Finnish nuclear opinion, both within the public and the political decision makers. The antinuclear lobbying in Finland is rather low key. There has been no big demonstrations as the ordinary people do not participate in them. The nuclear opponents have, however, a well working and sympathy arousing organization within the political parties and to a limited extend within the media. They also work in a very professional way in the environmental voluntary organizations. The politically, the industry is waiting for positive signals from the Government. The nuclear decision is considered as one of the most important in this respect. the situation is rather complex, but the industry and the utilities are

Life management plants at nuclear power plants PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esteban, G.

2014-01-01

Since in 2009 the CSN published the Safety Instruction IS-22 (1) which established the regulatory framework the Spanish nuclear power plants must meet in regard to Life Management, most of Spanish nuclear plants began a process of convergence of their Life Management Plants to practice 10 CFR 54 (2), which is the current standard of Spanish nuclear industry for Ageing Management, either during the design lifetime of the plant, as well as for Long-Term Operation. This article describe how Life Management Plans are being implemented in Spanish PWR NPP. (Author)

Benchmarking Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakic, I.

2016-01-01

One of the main tasks an owner have is to keep its business competitive on the market while delivering its product. Being owner of nuclear power plant bear the same (or even more complex and stern) responsibility due to safety risks and costs. In the past, nuclear power plant managements could (partly) ignore profit or it was simply expected and to some degree assured through the various regulatory processes governing electricity rate design. It is obvious now that, with the deregulation, utility privatization and competitive electricity market, key measure of success used at nuclear power plants must include traditional metrics of successful business (return on investment, earnings and revenue generation) as well as those of plant performance, safety and reliability. In order to analyze business performance of (specific) nuclear power plant, benchmarking, as one of the well-established concept and usual method was used. Domain was conservatively designed, with well-adjusted framework, but results have still limited application due to many differences, gaps and uncertainties. (author).

IGCC power plant integrated to a Finnish pulp and paper mill. IEA Bioenergy. Techno-economic analysis activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koljonen, T.; Solantausta, Y. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). New Energy Technologies; Salo, K.; Horvath, A. [Carbona Inc. (Finland)

1999-11-01

In Finland, the pulp and paper industry is the largest consumer of energy among the industries and its power demand will increase due to economical and strict environ- mental requirements. The ageing of oil and biomass boilers in Finland also represents a window of opportunity for the introduction of new environmentally sound technology with a high efficiency in power production, e.g., in biomass gasification. This site-specific study describes the technical and economic feasibility of a biomass gasification combined cycle producing heat and power for a typical Finnish pulp and paper mill. The mill produces SC (super calantered) paper 500 000 ADt/a. The paper mill employs sulphate pulp and GW (ground wood) pulp. The capacity of the pulp mill is 400 000 ADt/a (air dry ton/year) of which 120 000 ADt/a is used at the site. The heat demand of the integrate is covered by a recovery boiler and a bark boiler. A condensing steam turbine with two extractions generates electricity for the mill. The aim is to replace an old bark boiler by an IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) to enhance the economy and environmental performance of the power plant. The IGCC feasibility study is conducted for an pulp and paper integrate because of its suitable infrastructure for IGCC and a large amount of wood waste available at the site. For comparison, the feasibility of an IGCC integrated to a pulp mill is also assessed. The IGCC concept described is based on research and development work performed by Carbona, Inc., who acquired the rights for know-how of Enviropower, Inc. The operation and design of the IGCC concept is based on a 20 MWe gas turbine (MW151). The heat of gas turbine exhaust gas is utilised in a HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator) of two pressure levels to generate steam for the pulp and paper mill and the steam turbine. The MCC power plant operates in condensing mode. The total investment cost of the IGCC plant is estimated at FIM 417 million (USD 83.4 million

IGCC power plant integrated to a Finnish pulp and paper mill. IEA Bioenergy. Techno-economic analysis activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koljonen, T.; Solantausta, Y.

1999-01-01

In Finland, the pulp and paper industry is the largest consumer of energy among the industries and its power demand will increase due to economical and strict environ- mental requirements. The ageing of oil and biomass boilers in Finland also represents a window of opportunity for the introduction of new environmentally sound technology with a high efficiency in power production, e.g., in biomass gasification. This site-specific study describes the technical and economic feasibility of a biomass gasification combined cycle producing heat and power for a typical Finnish pulp and paper mill. The mill produces SC (super calantered) paper 500 000 ADt/a. The paper mill employs sulphate pulp and GW (ground wood) pulp. The capacity of the pulp mill is 400 000 ADt/a (air dry ton/year) of which 120 000 ADt/a is used at the site. The heat demand of the integrate is covered by a recovery boiler and a bark boiler. A condensing steam turbine with two extractions generates electricity for the mill. The aim is to replace an old bark boiler by an IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) to enhance the economy and environmental performance of the power plant. The IGCC feasibility study is conducted for an pulp and paper integrate because of its suitable infrastructure for IGCC and a large amount of wood waste available at the site. For comparison, the feasibility of an IGCC integrated to a pulp mill is also assessed. The IGCC concept described is based on research and development work performed by Carbona, Inc., who acquired the rights for know-how of Enviropower, Inc. The operation and design of the IGCC concept is based on a 20 MWe gas turbine (MW151). The heat of gas turbine exhaust gas is utilised in a HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator) of two pressure levels to generate steam for the pulp and paper mill and the steam turbine. The MCC power plant operates in condensing mode. The total investment cost of the IGCC plant is estimated at FIM 417 million (USD 83.4 million

Are atomic power plants saver than nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roeglin, H.C.

1977-01-01

It is rather impossible to establish nuclear power plants against the resistance of the population. To prevail over this resistance, a clarification of the citizens-initiatives motives which led to it will be necessary. This is to say: It is quite impossible for our population to understand what really heappens in nuclear power plants. They cannot identify themselves with nuclear power plants and thus feel very uncomfortable. As the total population feels the same way it is prepared for solidarity with the citizens-initiatives even if they believe in the necessity of nuclear power plants. Only an information-policy making transparent the social-psychological reasons of the population for being against nuclear power plants could be able to prevail over the resistance. More information about the technical procedures is not sufficient at all. (orig.) [de

Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants in the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This 2005 edition of the Elecnuc booklet summarizes in tables all numerical data relative to the nuclear power plants worldwide. These data come from the PRIS database managed by the IAEA. The following aspects are reviewed: 2004 highlights; main characteristics of reactor types; map of the French nuclear power plants on 2005/01/01; worldwide status of nuclear power plants at the end of 2004; units distributed by countries; nuclear power plants connected to the grid by reactor-type group; nuclear power plants under construction on 2004; evolution of nuclear power plant capacities connected to the grid; first electric generations supplied by a nuclear unit; electrical generation from nuclear power plants by country at the end 2004; performance indicator of PWR units in France; trend of the generation indicator worldwide; 2004 load factor by owners; units connected to the grid by countries at 12/31/2004; status of licence renewal applications in USA; nuclear power plants under construction at 12/31/2004; shutdown reactors; exported nuclear capacity in net MWe; exported and national nuclear capacity connected to the grid; exported nuclear power plants under construction or order; exported and national nuclear capacity under construction or order; recycling of plutonium in LWR; Mox licence plant projects; Appendix - historical development; acronyms, glossary

Organizing nuclear power plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, H.W.; Rekittke, K.

1987-01-01

With the preliminary culmination in the convoy plants of the high standard of engineered safeguards in German nuclear power plants developed over the past twenty years, the interest of operators has now increasingly turned to problems which had not been in the focus of attention before. One of these problems is the organization of nuclear power plant operation. In order to enlarge the basis of knowledge, which is documented also in the rules published by the Kerntechnischer Ausschuss (Nuclear Technology Committee), the German Federal Minister of the Interior has commissioned a study of the organizational structures of nuclear power plants. The findings of that study are covered in the article. Two representative nuclear power plants in the Federal Republic of Germany were selected for the study, one of them a single-unit plant run by an independent operating company in the form of a private company under German law (GmbH), the other a dual-unit plant operated as a dependent unit of a utility. The two enterprises have different structures of organization. (orig.) [de

Nuclear Power Plants in the World

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 2002 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from 65 electric power companies and other nuclear organizations in 28 countries and regions around the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 19 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; status of MOX use in the world; location of the plants; the plants in the world; directory of the plants; nuclear fuel cycle facilities; and so forth. (J.P.N.)

Criticality safety calculations for the nuclear waste disposal canisters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, M.

1996-12-01

The criticality safety of the copper/iron canisters developed for the final disposal of the Finnish spent fuel has been studied with the MCNP4A code based on the Monte Carlo technique and with the fuel assembly burnup programs CASMO-HEX and CASMO-4. Two rather similar types of spent fuel disposal canisters have been studied. One canister type has been designed for hexagonal VVER-440 fuel assemblies used at the Loviisa nuclear power plant (IVO canister) and the other one for square BWR fuel bundles used at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant (TVO canister). (10 refs.)

On nuclear power plant uprating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, S. Allen; Bailey, James V.; Maginnis, Stephen T.

2004-01-01

Power uprating for commercial nuclear power plants has become increasingly attractive because of pragmatic reasons. It provides quick return on investment and competitive financial benefits, while involving low risks regarding plant safety and public objection. This paper briefly discussed nuclear plant uprating guidelines, scope for design basis analysis and engineering evaluation, and presented the Salem nuclear power plant uprating study for illustration purposes. A cost and benefit evaluation of the Salem power uprating was also included. (author)

Plant Design Nuclear Fuel Element Production Capacity Optimization to Support Nuclear Power Plant in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bambang Galung Susanto

2007-01-01

The optimization production capacity for designing nuclear fuel element fabrication plant in Indonesia to support the nuclear power plant has been done. From calculation and by assuming that nuclear power plant to be built in Indonesia as much as 12 NPP and having capacity each 1000 MW, the optimum capacity for nuclear fuel element fabrication plant is 710 ton UO 2 /year. The optimum capacity production selected, has considered some aspects such as fraction batch (cycle, n = 3), length of cycle (18 months), discharge burn-up value (Bd) 35,000 up 50,000 MWD/ton U, enriched uranium to be used in the NPP (3.22 % to 4.51 %), future market development for fuel element, and the trend of capacity production selected by advances country to built nuclear fuel element fabrication plant type of PWR. (author)

Nuclear security - New challenge to the safety of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ganjie

2008-01-01

The safety of nuclear power plants involves two aspects: one is to prevent nuclear accidents resulted from systems and equipments failure or human errors; the other is to refrain nuclear accidents from external intended attack. From this point of view, nuclear security is an organic part of the nuclear safety of power plants since they have basically the same goals and concrete measures with each other. In order to prevent malicious attacks; the concept of physical protection of nuclear facilities has been put forward. In many years, a series of codes and regulations as well as technical standard systems on physical protection had been developed at international level. The United Nations passed No. 1540 resolution as well as 'Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear terrorism', and revised 'Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials', which has enhanced a higher level capacity of preparedness by international community to deal with security issues of nuclear facilities. In China, in order to improve the capability of nuclear power plants on preventing and suppressing the external attacks, the Chinese government consecutively developed the related codes and standards as well as technical documents based on the existing laws and regulations, including 'Guide for the Nuclear Security of Nuclear Power Plants' and 'Guide for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials', so as to upgrade the legislative requirements for nuclear security in power plants. The government also made greater efforts to support the scientific research and staff training on physical protection, and satisfying the physical protection standards for newly-built nuclear facilities such as large scale nuclear power plants to meet requirement at international level. At the same time old facilities were renovated and the Chinese government established a nuclear emergency preparedness coordination mechanism, developed corresponding emergency preparedness plans, intensified the

Nuclear power plant pressure vessels. Control of piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The guide presents requirements for the pipework of nuclear facilities in Finland. According to the section 117 of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Degree (161/88), the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) controls the pressure vessels of nuclear facilities in accordance with the Nuclear Energy Act (990/87) and, to the extent applicable in accordance with the Act of Pressure Vessels (98/73) and the rules and regulations issued by the virtue of these. In addition STUK is an inspecting authority of pressure vessels of nuclear facilities in accordance with the Pressure Vessel Degree (549/1973). According to the section of the Pressure Vessel Degree, a pressure vessel is a steam boiler, pressure container, pipework of other such appliance in which the pressure is above or may come to exceed the atmospheric pressure. Guide YVL 3.0 describes in general terms how STUK controls pressure vessels. STUK controls Safety Class 1, 2 and 3 piping as well as Class EYT (non-nuclear) and their support structures in accordance with this guide and applies the provisions of the Decision of the Ministry of Trade and Industry on piping (71/1975) issued by virtue of the Pressure Vessel Decree

Nuclear power plants in the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 2007/2008 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from electric power companies and other nuclear organizations around the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 18 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; effect of the Niigata-ken chuetsu-oki earthquake; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; status of MOX use in the world; location of the plants; the plants in the world; directory of the plants; nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and so forth. (J.P.N.)

Nuclear Power Plants in the World

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 2003 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from 81 electric power companies and other nuclear organizations in 33 countries and regions around the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 19 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; status of MOX use in the world; location of the plants; the plants in the world; directory of the plants; nuclear fuel cycle facilities; and so forth. (J.P.N.)

Application of Solar Chimney Concept to Solve Potential Safety Issues of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khasawneh, Khalid; PARK, Youn Won

2014-01-01

In this paper two main events and their causes have been investigated and a potential alternative supporting system will be provided. The first event to be addressed is the Station Blackout (SBO) caused by the inherent unreliability of the Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) and Alternative AC (AAC) power sources. Different parameters affect The EDG unreliability; for instance, mechanical, operational, maintenance and surveillance. Those parameters will be analyzed and linked to plant safety and Core Damage Frequency (CDF). Also the AACs, the SBO diesel generators, will be studied and their operational requirements similarity with the EDGs will be discussed. The second event to be addressed is the Loss of Ultimate Heat Sink (LUHS) caused by the degradation of heat exchange effectiveness, that is, the poor heat transfer to the Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS). Different causes to such case were observed; intake lines blockages due to ice and foreign biological matters formation and oil spill near the heat sink causing the oil leakage to the heat exchangers tubes. The later cause, oil spill, has been given a special attention here due its potential effects for different nuclear power plants (NPPs) around the world; for example, Finland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For the Finnish case, the Finnish nuclear regulator (STUK) took already countermeasures for such scenario by introducing alternative heat sink, cooling towers, for the primary used heat sink, sea water, for one of its nuclear power plants. The abundance of the solar irradiation in the UAE region provides a perfect condition for the implementation of solar power applications. Utilizing this unique characteristic of that region may provide promising alternative and diverse options for solving potential safety related issues of their NPPs. The Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) could be employed to serve as a supporting system to provide emergency power, in the case of SBO, and emergency cooling, in the case of

Application of Solar Chimney Concept to Solve Potential Safety Issues of Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khasawneh, Khalid; PARK, Youn Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

In this paper two main events and their causes have been investigated and a potential alternative supporting system will be provided. The first event to be addressed is the Station Blackout (SBO) caused by the inherent unreliability of the Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) and Alternative AC (AAC) power sources. Different parameters affect The EDG unreliability; for instance, mechanical, operational, maintenance and surveillance. Those parameters will be analyzed and linked to plant safety and Core Damage Frequency (CDF). Also the AACs, the SBO diesel generators, will be studied and their operational requirements similarity with the EDGs will be discussed. The second event to be addressed is the Loss of Ultimate Heat Sink (LUHS) caused by the degradation of heat exchange effectiveness, that is, the poor heat transfer to the Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS). Different causes to such case were observed; intake lines blockages due to ice and foreign biological matters formation and oil spill near the heat sink causing the oil leakage to the heat exchangers tubes. The later cause, oil spill, has been given a special attention here due its potential effects for different nuclear power plants (NPPs) around the world; for example, Finland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For the Finnish case, the Finnish nuclear regulator (STUK) took already countermeasures for such scenario by introducing alternative heat sink, cooling towers, for the primary used heat sink, sea water, for one of its nuclear power plants. The abundance of the solar irradiation in the UAE region provides a perfect condition for the implementation of solar power applications. Utilizing this unique characteristic of that region may provide promising alternative and diverse options for solving potential safety related issues of their NPPs. The Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) could be employed to serve as a supporting system to provide emergency power, in the case of SBO, and emergency cooling, in the case of

Nuclear Power Plants (Rev.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyerly, Ray L.; Mitchell III, Walter [Southern Nuclear Engineering, Inc.

1973-01-01

Projected energy requirements for the future suggest that we must employ atomic energy to generate electric power or face depletion of our fossil-fuel resources—coal, oil, and gas. In short, both conservation and economic considerations will require us to use nuclear energy to generate the electricity that supports our civilization. Until we reach the time when nuclear power plants are as common as fossil-fueled or hydroelectric plants, many people will wonder how the nuclear plants work, how much they cost, where they are located, and what kinds of reactors they use. The purpose of this booklet is to answer these questions. In doing so, it will consider only central station plants, which are those that provide electric power for established utility systems.

Examination of some assumed severe reactor accidents at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pekkarinen, E.; Rossi, J.

1989-02-01

Knowledge and analysis methods of severe accidents at nuclear power plants and of subsequent response of primary system and containment have been developed in last few years to the extent that realistic source tems of the specified accident sequences can be calculated for the Finnish nuclear power plants. The objective of this investigation was to calculate the source terms of off-site consequences brought about by some selected severe accident sequences initiated by the total loss of on-site and off-site AC power at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The results describing the estimated off-site health risks are expressed as conditional assuming that the accident has taken place, because the probabilities of the occurence of the accident sequences considered have not been analysed in this study. The range and probabilities of occurence of health detriments are considered by calculating consequences in different weeather conditions and taking into account the annual frequency of each weather condition and statistical population distribution. The calculational results indicate that the reactor building provides and additional holdup and deposition of radioactive substance (except coble gases) released from the containment. Furthermore, the release fractions of the core inventory to the environment of volatile fission products such as iodine, cesium and tellurium remain under 0.03. No early health effects are predicted for the surrounding population in case the assumed short-tem countermeasures are performed effectively. Acute health effects are extremely improbable even without any active countermeasure. By reducing the long-term exposure from contaminated agricultural products, the collective dose from natural long-term background radiation, for instance in the sector of 30 degrees towards the southern Finland up to the distance of 300 kilometers, would be expected to increase with 2-20 percent depending on the release considered

Improvement of the nuclear plant analyzer for Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sung Soo; Han, Byoung Sub; Suh, Jae Seung; Son, Dae Seong

2005-04-01

Accurate analysis of the operating characteristics of Nuclear Power Plants provides valuable information for both norman and abnormal operation. The information can be used for the enhancement of plant performance and safety. Usually, such analysis is performed using computer codes used for plant design or simulators. However, their usages are limited because special expertise is required to use the computer codes and simulators are not portable. Therefore, it deemed necessary to develop an NPA which minimizes those limitations and can be used for the analysis and simulation of Nuclear Power Plants. The purpose of this study is to develop a real-time best-estimate NPA for the Korean Nuclear Power Plants(KSNP). The NPA is an interactive, high fidelity engineering simulator. NPA combines the process model simulating the plant behavior with the latest computer technology such as Graphical User Interface(GUI) and simulation executive for enhanced user interface. The process model includes models for a three-dimensional reactor core, the NSSS, secondary system including turbine and feedtrain, safety auxiliary systems, and various control systems. Through the verification and validation of the NPA, it was demonstrated that the NPA can realistically simulate the plant behaviors during transient and accident conditions

Nuclear power plants in post-war thought

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toya, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

This paper overviews how nuclear power plants have been talked about in the post-war thought. Science and technology sometimes significantly change the thinking way of humans, and nuclear power generation is an extreme technology. This paper overviews how nuclear power plants and humans are correlated. The following three points are discussed as the major issues of contemporary thought over nuclear power plants. First, on the danger of nuclear power plants, the risk of destructive power that nuclear energy has, and the danger of unreasoning development in science and technology civilization are discussed. Second, on the ethics issues surrounding nuclear power plants, the ethics that are based on unbalanced power relations, and democratic responsibility ethics based on discussion ethics are discussed. Third, on the issues of nuclear power plants and imagination, the limitations of democratic discussion surrounding nuclear power plants, the formation of imagination commensurate with the destructive power of nuclear power plants, and the formation of imagination that can represent the distant future are discussed. (A.O.)

Public regulation of nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burtheret, M.; Cormis, de

1980-01-01

The construction and operation of nuclear plants are subject to a complex system of governmental administration. The authors list the various governmental authorisations and rules applicable to these plants. In the first part, they describe the national regulations which relate specifically to nuclear plants, and emphasize the provisions which are intended to ensure the safety of the installations and the protection of the public against ionizing radiation. However, while the safety of nuclear plants is a major concern of the authorities, other interests are also protected. This is accomplished by various laws or regulations which apply to nuclear plants as well as other industrial installations. The duties which these texts, and the administrative practice based thereon, impose on Electricite de France are covered in the second part [fr

Regulatory oversight of nuclear safety in Finland. Annual report 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kainulainen, E. (ed.)

2012-07-01

The report constitutes the report on regulatory control in the field of nuclear energy which the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is required to submit once a year to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy pursuant to Section 121 of the Nuclear Energy Decree. The report is also delivered to the Ministry of Environment, the Finnish Environment Institute, and the regional environmental authorities of the localities in which a nuclear facility is located. The regulatory control of nuclear safety in 2011 included the design, construction and operation of nuclear facilities, as well as nuclear waste management and nuclear materials. The first parts of the report explain the basics of nuclear safety regulation included as part of STUK's responsibilities, as well as the objectives of the operations, and briefly introduce the objects of regulation. The chapter concerning the development and implementation of legislation and regulations describes changes in nuclear legislation, as well as the progress of STUK's YVL Guide revision work. The section concerning the regulation of nuclear facilities contains an overall safety assessment of the nuclear facilities currently in operation or under construction. The chapter concerning the regulation of the final disposal project for spent nuclear fuel de-scribes the preparations for the final disposal project and the related regulatory activities. The section concerning nuclear non-proliferation describes the nuclear non-proliferation control for Finnish nuclear facilities and final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, as well as measures required by the Additional Protocol of the Safeguards Agreement. The chapter describing the oversight of security arrangements in the use of nuclear energy discusses oversight of the security arrangements in nuclear power plants and other plants, institutions and functions included within the scope of STUK's regulatory oversight. The chapter also discusses the national and

Nuclear Power Plants in the World

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Developmental trends on nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 1999 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from 72 electric companies in 31 nations and regions in the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 19 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; location of the plants; the plants in the world; and so forth. And, it also has some survey results on the 'Liberalization of electric power markets and nuclear power generation' such as some 70% of respondents in nuclear power for future option, gas-thermal power seen as power source with most to gain from liberalization, merits on nuclear power generation (environmental considerations and supply stability), most commonly voiced concern about new plant orders in poor economy, and so forth. (G.K.)

Nuclear power plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otway, H.J.

1974-01-01

Action at the international level will assume greater importance as the number of nuclear power plants increases, especially in the more densely populated parts of the world. Predictions of growth made prior to October 1973 [9] indicated that, by 1980, 14% of the electricity would be supplied by nuclear plants and by the year 2000 this figure would be about 50%. This will make the topic of international co-operation and standards of even greater importance. The IAEA has long been active in providing assistance to Member States in the siting design and operation of nuclear reactors. These activities have been pursued through advisory missions, the publication of codes of practice, guide books, technical reports and in arranging meetings to promote information exchange. During the early development of nuclear power, there was no well-established body of experience which would allow formulation of internationally acceptable safety criteria, except in a few special cases. Hence, nuclear power plant safety and reliability matters often received an ad hoc approach which necessarily entailed a lack of consistency in the criteria used and in the levels of safety required. It is clear that the continuation of an ad hoc approach to safety will prove inadequate in the context of a world-wide nuclear power industry, and the international trade which this implies. As in several other fields, the establishment of internationally acceptable safety standards and appropriate guides for use by regulatory bodies, utilities, designers and constructors, is becoming a necessity. The IAEA is presently planning the development of a comprehensive set of basic requirements for nuclear power plant safety, and the associated reliability requirements, which would be internationally acceptable, and could serve as a standard frame of reference for nuclear plant safety and reliability analyses

Summary of nuclear power plant construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Saburo

1973-01-01

Various conditions for the construction of nuclear power plants in Japan without natural resources were investigated. Expansion of the sites of plants, change of reactor vessels, standardization of nuclear power plants, possiblity of the reduction of construction period, approaching of nuclear power plants to consuming cities, and group construction were studied. Evaluation points were safety and economy. Previous sites of nuclear power plants were mostly on plane ground or cut and enlarge sites. Proposals for underground or offshore plants have been made. The underground plants were made at several places in Europe, and the ocean plant is now approved in U.S.A. as a plant on a man-made island. Vessels for containing nuclear reactors are the last barriers to the leakage of radioactive substance. At the initial period, the vessels were made of steel, which were surrounded by shielding material. Those were dry well type containers. Then, vessel type changed to pressure-suppression type wet containers. Now, it tends to concrete (PC or RC) type containers. There is the policy on the standardization of nuclear power plants by U.S.A.E.C. in recent remarkable activity. The merit and effect of the standardization were studied, and are presented in this paper. Cost of the construction of nuclear power plants is expensive, and interest of money is large. Then, the reduction of construction period is an important problem. The situations of plants approaching to consuming cities in various countries were studied. Idea of group construction is described. (Kato, T.)

Main messages for the new nuclear unit in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikula, Anneli

2001-01-01

Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) submitted last year, on 15th November, to the Council of State an application for a decision in principle concerning the construction of additional nuclear capacity. In this presentation, the main messages to decision makers for the new unit are discussed. Also the studies, which the messages are based on, are described. According to the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act, a company considering a nuclear plant project must apply for a decision in principle from the Government beforehand. The Government then decides whether the project is in accordance with the overall good of the society. If the decision is positive, it needs ratification by the Parliament. Before the Government decision, various interested parties are heard, including the municipality of location and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The phase of statements is underway and they all will be ready by the end of March 2001. The entire application process takes approximately 1-2 years. The main messages arguing for more nuclear power in Finland were as follows. The new nuclear power plant unit replaces old fossil power plants and satisfies the need for additional demand of electricity; makes possible to meet the requirements of the Kyoto agreement; reduces the dependence on the imported energy and assures a stable and predictable electricity price. Messaging concerning a new nuclear power plant unit is made in co-operation with several organisations. The most important of them, in addition to the company shareholders, are the companies which have shown interested in the new project as well as the Finnish Energy Industries Federation (Finergy) and the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers. A transparency folder 'Nuclear electricity 2000' was put together of the messages in collaboration with the organisations. The folder was distributed to about 400 opinion leaders in the energy field. To ensure the consistency of the messages, several interest group meetings

Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants in the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This small booklet summarizes in tables all the numerical data relative to the nuclear power plants worldwide. These data come from the French CEA/DSE/SEE Elecnuc database. The following aspects are reviewed: 1997 highlights; main characteristics of the reactor types in operation, under construction or on order; map of the French nuclear power plants; worldwide status of nuclear power plants at the end of 1997; nuclear power plants in operation, under construction and on order; capacity of nuclear power plants in operation; net and gross capacity of nuclear power plants on the grid and in commercial operation; forecasts; first power generation of nuclear origin per country, achieved or expected; performance indicator of PWR units in France; worldwide trend of the power generation indicator; nuclear power plants in operation, under construction, on order, planned, cancelled, shutdown, and exported; planning of steam generators replacement; MOX fuel program for plutonium recycling. (J.S.)

Nuclear power plant diagnostic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokop, K.; Volavy, J.

1982-01-01

Basic information is presented on diagnostic systems used at nuclear power plants with PWR reactors. They include systems used at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant in the USSR, at the Nord power plant in the GDR, the system developed at the Hungarian VEIKI institute, the system used at the V-1 nuclear power plant at Jaslovske Bohunice in Czechoslovakia and systems of the Rockwell International company used in US nuclear power plants. These diagnostic systems are basically founded on monitoring vibrations and noise, loose parts, pressure pulsations, neutron noise, coolant leaks and acoustic emissions. The Rockwell International system represents a complex unit whose advantage is the on-line evaluation of signals which gives certain instructions for the given situation directly to the operator. The other described systems process signals using similar methods. Digitized signals only serve off-line computer analyses. (Z.M.)

KWU Nuclear Plant Analyzer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennewitz, F.; Hummel, R.; Oelmann, K.

1986-01-01

The KWU Nuclear Plant Analyzer is a real time engineering simulator based on the KWU computer programs used in plant transient analysis and licensing. The primary goal is to promote the understanding of the technical and physical processes of a nuclear power plant at an on-site training facility. Thus the KWU Nuclear Plant Analyzer is available with comparable low costs right at the time when technical questions or training needs arise. This has been achieved by (1) application of the transient code NLOOP; (2) unrestricted operator interaction including all simulator functions; (3) using the mainframe computer Control Data Cyber 176 in the KWU computing center; (4) four color graphic displays controlled by a dedicated graphic computer, no control room equipment; and (5) coupling of computers by telecommunication via telephone

Systematic analysis and prevention of human originated common cause failures in relation to maintenance activities at Finnish nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laakso, K. [VTT Industrial Systems, Espoo (Finland)

2006-12-15

The focus in human reliability analysis of nuclear power plants has traditionally been on human performance in disturbance conditions. On the other hand, human maintenance failures and design deficiencies, remained latent in the system, have an impact on the severity of a disturbance, e.g. by disabling safety-related equipment on demand. Especially common cause failures (CCFs) of safety related systems can affect the core damage risk to a significant extent. The topic has been addressed in Finnish studies, where experiences of latent human errors have been searched and analysed systematically from the maintenance history stored in the the power plant information systems of the Loviisa and Olkiluoto NPPs. Both the single and multiple errors (CCFs) were classified in detail and documented as error and event reports. The human CCFs involved human, organisational and technical factors. The review of the analysed single and multiple errors showed that instrumentation and control and electrical equipment are more prone to human error caused failure events than the other maintenance objects. The review of the analysed experience showed that most errors stem from the refuelling and maintenance outage periods. More than half of the multiple errors from the outages remained latent to the power operating periods. The review of the analysed multiple errors showed that difficulties with small plant modifications and planning of maintenance and operability were significant sources of common cause failures. The most dependent human errors originating from small modifications could be reduced by a more tailored planning and coverage of their start-up testing programs. Improvements could also be achieved by identifying better in work planning from the operating experiences those complex or intrusive repair and preventive maintenance work tasks and actions which are prone to errors. Such uncertain cases in important equipment require a more tailored work planning of the installation

Systematic analysis and prevention of human originated common cause failures in relation to maintenance activities at Finnish nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, K.

2006-12-01

The focus in human reliability analysis of nuclear power plants has traditionally been on human performance in disturbance conditions. On the other hand, human maintenance failures and design deficiencies, remained latent in the system, have an impact on the severity of a disturbance, e.g. by disabling safety-related equipment on demand. Especially common cause failures (CCFs) of safety related systems can affect the core damage risk to a significant extent. The topic has been addressed in Finnish studies, where experiences of latent human errors have been searched and analysed systematically from the maintenance history stored in the the power plant information systems of the Loviisa and Olkiluoto NPPs. Both the single and multiple errors (CCFs) were classified in detail and documented as error and event reports. The human CCFs involved human, organisational and technical factors. The review of the analysed single and multiple errors showed that instrumentation and control and electrical equipment are more prone to human error caused failure events than the other maintenance objects. The review of the analysed experience showed that most errors stem from the refuelling and maintenance outage periods. More than half of the multiple errors from the outages remained latent to the power operating periods. The review of the analysed multiple errors showed that difficulties with small plant modifications and planning of maintenance and operability were significant sources of common cause failures. The most dependent human errors originating from small modifications could be reduced by a more tailored planning and coverage of their start-up testing programs. Improvements could also be achieved by identifying better in work planning from the operating experiences those complex or intrusive repair and preventive maintenance work tasks and actions which are prone to errors. Such uncertain cases in important equipment require a more tailored work planning of the installation

Nuclear accidents and safety measures of domestic nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Zurong; Che Shuwei; Pan Xiang

2012-01-01

Based on the design standards for the safety of nuclear and radiation in nuclear power plants, the three accidents in the history of nuclear power are analyzed. And the main factors for these accidents are found out, that is, human factors and unpredicted natural calamity. By combining the design and operation parameters of domestic nuclear plants, the same accidents are studied and some necessary preventive schemes are put forward. In the security operation technology of domestic nuclear power plants nowadays, accidents caused by human factors can by prevented completely. But the safety standards have to be reconsidered for the unpredicted neutral disasters. How to reduce the hazard of nuclear radiation and leakage to the level that can be accepted by the government and public when accidents occur under extreme conditions during construction and operation of nuclear power plants must be considered adequately. (authors)

Perspectives of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vajda, Gy.

2001-01-01

In several countries the construction of nuclear power plants has been stopped, and in some counties several plants have been decommissioned or are planned to. Therefore, the question arises: have nuclear power plants any future? According to the author, the question should be reformulated: can mankind survive without nuclear power? To examine this challenge, the global power demand and its trends are analyzed. According to the results, traditional energy sources cannot be adequate to supply power. Therefore, a reconsideration of nuclear power should be imminent. The economic, environmental attractions are discussed as opposite to the lack of social support. (R.P.)

Off-shore nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakanishi, T.

1980-01-01

In order to avoid losses of energy and seawater pollution an off-shore nuclear power plant is coupled with a power plant which utilizes the temperature difference between seawater and hot reactor cooling water. According to the invention the power plant has a working media loop which is separated from the nuclear power plant. The apparative equipment and the operational characteristics of the power plant are the subject of the patent. (UWI) [de

Plant life management optimized utilization of existing nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watzinger, H.; Erve, M.

1999-01-01

For safe, reliable and economical nuclear power generation it is of central importance to understand, analyze and manage aging-related phenomena and to apply this information in the systematic utilization and as-necessary extension of the service life of components and systems. An operator's overall approach to aging and plant life management which also improves performance characteristics can help to optimize plant operating economy. In view of the deregulation of the power generation industry with its increased competition, nuclear power plants must today also increasingly provide for or maintain a high level of plant availability and low power generating costs. This is a difficult challenge even for the newest, most modern plants, and as plants age they can only remain competitive if a plant operator adopts a strategic approach which takes into account the various aging-related effects on a plant-wide basis. The significance of aging and plant life management for nuclear power plants becomes apparent when looking at their age: By the year 2000 roughly fifty of the world's 434 commercial nuclear power plants will have been in operation for thirty years or more. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, as many as 110 plants will have reached the thirty-year service mark by the year 2005. In many countries human society does not push the construction of new nuclear power plants and presumably will not change mind within the next ten years. New construction licenses cannot be expected so that for economical and ecological reasons existing plants have to be operated unchallengeably. On the other hand the deregulation of the power production market is asking just now for analysis of plant life time to operate the plants at a high technical and economical level until new nuclear power plants can be licensed and constructed. (author)

Finnish support programme to IAEA safeguards. Annual report 1994; Suomen tukiohjelma IAEA:n safeguards-valvonnalle. Vuoden 1994 toimintakertomus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarvainen, M [ed.

1995-05-01

Implementation of the Finnish Support Programme to IAEA Safeguards (FINSP) during the calender year in question is summarized. FINSP is carried out trough separate tasks concentrating on verification of nuclear material, training and expert services to the IAEA. In addition to the Finnish summary, the report includes detailed description of each task in English.

Building of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Takashi.

1997-01-01

A first nuclear plant and a second nuclear power plant are disposed in adjacent with each other in a building for a nuclear reactor. A reactor container is disposed in each of the plants, and each reactor container is surrounded by a second containing facility. A repairing chamber capable of communicating with the secondary containing facilities for both of the secondary containing facilities is disposed being in contact with the second containing facility of each plant for repairing control rod driving mechanisms or reactor incorporated-type recycling pumps. Namely, the repairing chamber is in adjacent with the reactor containers of both plants, and situated between both of the plants as a repairing chamber to be used in common for both plants. Air tight inlet/exit doors are formed to the inlets/exits of both plants of the repairing chamber. Space for the repairing chamber can be reduced to about one half compared with a case where the repairing chamber is formed independently on each plant. (I.N.)

Nuclear Power Plants. Revised.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyerly, Ray L.; Mitchell, Walter, III

This publication is one of a series of information booklets for the general public published by the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Among the topics discussed are: Why Use Nuclear Power?; From Atoms to Electricity; Reactor Types; Typical Plant Design Features; The Cost of Nuclear Power; Plants in the United States; Developments in Foreign…

75 FR 66802 - Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-29

... Nuclear Power Plant, LLC; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Notice of Withdrawal of...) has granted the request of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, the licensee, to withdraw its... for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in Calvert County, MD. The...

Electromagnetic compatibility of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabayan, H.S.

1983-01-01

Lately, there has been a mounting concern about the electromagnetic compatibility of nuclear-power-plant systems mainly because of the effects due to the nuclear electromagnetic pulse, and also because of the introduction of more-sophisticated and, therefore, more-susceptible solid-state devices into the plants. Questions have been raised about the adequacy of solid-state-device protection against plant electromagnetic-interference sources and transients due to the nuclear electromagnetic pulse. In this paper, the author briefly reviews the environment, and the coupling, susceptibility, and vulnerability assessment issues of commercial nuclear power plants

Nuclear power plants in populated areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wachsmann, F.

1973-01-01

The article first deals with the permanently increasing demand for electical power. Considering the ever growing energy demand which can no longer be covered by conventional power plants, it has become necessary to set up nuclear power plants of larger range. The author presents in a survey the basic function of nuclear power plants as well as the resulting risks and safety measures. The author concludes that according to present knowledge there is no more need to erect nuclear power plants outside densely populated urban areas but there is now the possibility of erecting nuclear power plants in densely populated areas. (orig./LH) [de

RETU The Finnish research programme on reactor safety 1995-1998. Final Symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanttola, T.

1998-01-01

The Reactor Safety (RETU, 1995-1998) research programme concentrated on search of safe limits for nuclear fuel and the reactor core, accident management methods and risk management of nuclear power plants. The total volume of the programme was 100 person years and funding FIM 58 million. This symposium report summarises the research fields, the objectives and the main results obtained. In the field of operational margins of a nuclear reactor, the behaviour of high burnup nuclear fuel was studied both in normal operation and during power transients. The static and dynamic reactor analysis codes were developed and validated to cope with new fuel designs and complicated three-dimensional reactivity transients. Advanced flow models and numerical solution methods for the dynamics codes were developed and tested. Research on accident management developed and validated calculation methods needed to plan preventive measures and to train the personnel to severe accident mitigation. Efforts were made to reduce uncertainties in phenomena important in severe accidents and to study actions planned for accident management. The programme included experimental work, but also participation in large international tests. The Finnish thermal-hydraulic test facility PACTEL was used extensively for the evaluation of the VVER-440 plant accident behaviour, for the validation of the accident analysis computer codes and for the testing of passive safety system concepts for future plant designs. In risk management probabilistic methods were developed for safety related decision making and for complex event sequences. Effects of maintenance on safety were studied and effective methods for assessment of human reliability and safety critical organisations were searched. To enhance human competencies in control of complex environments, practical tools for training and continuous learning were worked out, and methods to evaluate appropriateness of control room design were developed. (orig)

Nuclear Security for Floating Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skiba, James M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Scherer, Carolynn P. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-10-13

Recently there has been a lot of interest in small modular reactors. A specific type of these small modular reactors (SMR,) are marine based power plants called floating nuclear power plants (FNPP). These FNPPs are typically built by countries with extensive knowledge of nuclear energy, such as Russia, France, China and the US. These FNPPs are built in one country and then sent to countries in need of power and/or seawater desalination. Fifteen countries have expressed interest in acquiring such power stations. Some designs for such power stations are briefly summarized. Several different avenues for cooperation in FNPP technology are proposed, including IAEA nuclear security (i.e. safeguards), multilateral or bilateral agreements, and working with Russian design that incorporates nuclear safeguards for IAEA inspections in non-nuclear weapons states

Nuclear power plants in the world - 2010 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

This small booklet summarizes in tables all data relative to the nuclear power plants worldwide. These data come from the IAEA's PRIS and AREVA-CEA's GAIA databases. The following aspects are reviewed: 2009 highlights, Main characteristics of reactor types, Map of the French nuclear power plants on 2010/01/01, Worldwide status of nuclear power plants (12/31/2009), Units distributed by countries, Nuclear power plants connected to the Grid- by reactor type groups, Nuclear power plants under construction on 2009, Evolution of nuclear power plants capacities connected to the grid, First electric generations supplied by a nuclear unit in each country, Electrical generation from nuclear power plants by country at the end 2009, Performance indicator of french PWR units, Evolution of the generation indicators worldwide by type, Nuclear operator ranking according to their installed capacity, Units connected to the grid by countries at 12/31/2009, Status of licence renewal applications in USA, Nuclear power plants under construction at 12/31/2009, Shutdown reactors, Exported nuclear capacity in net MWe, Exported and national nuclear capacity connected to the grid, Exported nuclear power plants under construction, Exported and national nuclear capacity under construction, Nuclear power plants ordered at 12/31/2009, Long term shutdown units at 12/31/2009, COL applications in the USA, Recycling of Plutonium in reactors and experiences, Mox licence plants projects, Appendix - historical development, Meaning of the used acronyms, Glossary

Nuclear plant life - A business decision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joosten, J.K.

1995-01-01

Regarding the future of the nuclear power option, many scenarios have been put forth over the years. The most commonly accepted projections for installed nuclear capacity show it growing at a rate of about 2% per year throughout the next few decades. These projections appear modes on the surface. However, underlying the projections are critical assumptions and sometimes misconceptions about the lifetimes of existing reactors and how they are determined. The notion of a 40 year plant life is very common. Consequently, many projections start either with the assumption that no plants will be retired in the near terms or with the assumption that each retired plant will be replaced by another nuclear plant after 40 years. Effectively, these assumptions yield future projections for installed capacity that might be characterized as low growth, medium growth and high growth scenarios - or grow, grow, grow. The question remains as to whether or not these assumptions accurately model the driving forces and constraints to nuclear development. After all, there is no scientific basis for believing that all plants, PWRs BWRs, RBMKs, etc., should have the same 40 year life. Most power plant owners purchase the plant for the main reason of supplying electrical power to their consumer. For these owners, electricity production is a day to day commercial activity with various alternatives on how to achieve the prime objective. The decision of which electricity generation alternative to select (gas, coal, nuclear or renewable energy) and how long to operate the plant before replacing it with a new one is essentially a business decision. The paper discusses ageing, the nuclear plant life decision process, the factors which influence the decision and their ramifications regarding the near term growth of nuclear power capacity. The modelling of nuclear plant lifetimes is also discussed. (author). 5 refs, 10 figs, 1 tab

Pumps for nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The guide describes how the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) controls pumps and their motors at nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities. The scope of the control is determined by the Safety Class of the pump in question. The various phases of the control are: (1) review of construction plan, (2) control of manufacturing, and construction inspection, (3) commissioning inspection, and (4) control during operation. STUK controls Safety Class 1, 2 and 3 pumps at nuclear facilities as described in this guide. STUK inspects Class EYT (non-nuclear) pumps separately or in connection with the commissioning inspections of the systems. This guide gives the control procedure and related requirements primarily for centrifugal pumps. However, it is also applied to the control of piston pumps and other pump types not mentioned in this guide

Owners of nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hudson, C.R.; White, V.S.

1996-11-01

Commercial nuclear power plants in this country can be owned by a number of separate entities, each with varying ownership proportions. Each of these owners may, in turn, have a parent/subsidiary relationship to other companies. In addition, the operator of the plant may be a different entity as well. This report provides a compilation on the owners/operators for all commercial power reactors in the United States. While the utility industry is currently experiencing changes in organizational structure which may affect nuclear plant ownership, the data in this report is current as of July 1996. The report is divided into sections representing different aspects of nuclear plant ownership.

Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants in the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This small booklet summarizes in tables all the numerical data relative to the nuclear power plants worldwide. These data come from the French CEA/DSE/SEE Elecnuc database. The following aspects are reviewed: 1999 highlights; main characteristics of the reactor types in operation, under construction or on order; map of the French nuclear power plants; worldwide status of nuclear power plants at the end of 1999; nuclear power plants in operation, under construction and on order; capacity of nuclear power plants in operation; net and gross capacity of nuclear power plants on the grid and in commercial operation; grid connection forecasts; world electric power market; electronuclear owners and share holders in EU, capacity and load factor; first power generation of nuclear origin per country, achieved or expected; performance indicator of PWR units in France; worldwide trend of the power generation indicator; 1999 gross load factor by operator; nuclear power plants in operation, under construction, on order, planned, cancelled, shutdown, and exported; planning of steam generators replacement; MOX fuel program for plutonium recycling. (J.S.)

Advanced plant design recommendations from Cook Nuclear Plant experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, W.L.

1993-01-01

A project in the American Electric Power Service Corporation to review operating and maintenance experience at Cook Nuclear Plant to identify recommendations for advanced nuclear plant design is described. Recommendations so gathered in the areas of plant fluid systems, instrument and control, testing and surveillance provisions, plant layout of equipment, provisions to enhance effective maintenance, ventilation systems, radiological protection, and construction, are presented accordingly. An example for a design review checklist for effective plant operations and maintenance is suggested

Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants worldwide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This small folder presents a digest of some useful information concerning the nuclear power plants worldwide and the situation of nuclear industry at the end of 1997: power production of nuclear origin, distribution of reactor types, number of installed units, evolution and prediction of reactor orders, connections to the grid and decommissioning, worldwide development of nuclear power, evolution of power production of nuclear origin, the installed power per reactor type, market shares and exports of the main nuclear engineering companies, power plants constructions and orders situation, evolution of reactors performances during the last 10 years, know-how and development of nuclear safety, the remarkable facts of 1997, the future of nuclear power and the energy policy trends. (J.S.)

TOSHIBA CAE system for nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machiba, Hiroshi; Sasaki, Norio

1990-01-01

TOSHIBA aims to secure safety, increase reliability and improve efficiency through the engineering for nuclear power plant using Computer Aided Engineering (CAE). TOSHIBA CAE system for nuclear power plant consists of numbers of sub-systems which had been integrated centering around the Nuclear Power Plant Engineering Data Base (PDBMS) and covers all stage of engineering for nuclear power plant from project management, design, manufacturing, construction to operating plant service and preventive maintenance as it were 'Plant Life-Cycle CAE System'. In recent years, TOSHIBA has been devoting to extend the system for integrated intelligent CAE system with state-of-the-art computer technologies such as computer graphics and artificial intelligence. This paper shows the outline of CAE system for nuclear power plant in TOSHIBA. (author)

Operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, G.

1987-01-01

This textbook gives a systematic introduction into the operational and maintenance activities in nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors. Subjects: (1) Setup and operational behaviour of power reactors, (2) setup of nuclear power plants, (3) radiation protection and nuclear safety, (4) nuclear fuel, (5) constructional layout of nuclear power plants, (6) management, and (7) maintenance. 158 figs., 56 tabs

Decisions on the safety of using nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janka, P.

1992-01-01

A new nuclear energy law came into force in Finland in 1988. This law defines general principles, conditions and requirements concerning the use of nuclear power. The law expects the use of nuclear power to be safe and the safety and contingency systems to be sufficient. General rules for the safety of using nuclear power and for safety arrangements and contingency plans are laid down by the government. The Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety has proposed the various rules to be adopted by the government and come into force by 1991. The rules for the safety of nuclear power plants and final waste storage plants contain limits for emissions of radioactive substances and radiation exposure and requirements for the safety in planning, building and using nuclear power plants and final waste storage plants. They observe international experience and research on risks linked to the use of nuclear power from the last few years as well as means and measures to contain these risks under all conditions. Safety arrangements at nuclear power plants contain measures required to be taken by the owner of the plants to thwart unlawful activities aimed at the plant. Most important of these are the rules for actions to be taken in dangerous situations. The proposed contingency plans contain measures to be taken by the owner of the plants in order to contain nuclear damages resulting from an accident. Most important of these are the rules for planning contingency arrangements, keeping these arrangements operable and actions to be taken in emergency situations. (author)

Analysis of failure and maintenance experiences of motor operated valves in a Finnish nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simola, K.; Laakso, K.

1992-01-01

Operating experiences from 1981 up to 1989 of totally 104 motor operated closing valves (MOV) in different safety systems at TVO I and II nuclear power units were analysed in a systematic way. The qualitative methods used were failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and maintenance effects and criticality analysis (MECA). The failure descriptions were obtained from power plant's computerized failure reporting system. The reported 181 failure events were reanalysed and sorted according to specific classifications developed for the MOV function. Filled FMEA and MECA sheets on individual valves were stored in a microcomputer data base for further analyses. Analyses were performed for the failed mechanical and electrical valve parts, ways of detection of failure modes, failure effects, and repair and unavailability times

Nuclear plant scram reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiegle, H.R.

1986-01-01

The Nuclear Utility Management and Human Resources Committee (NUMARC) is a confederation of all 55 utilities with nuclear plants either in operation or under construction. NUMARC was formed in April 1984 by senior nuclear executives with hundreds of man-years of plant experience to improve (plant) performance and resolve NRC concerns. NUMARC has adopted 10 commitments in the areas of management, training, staffing and performance. One of these commitments is to strive to reduce automatic trips to 3 per year per unit for calendar year 1985 for plants in commercial operation greater than 3 years (with greater than 25% capacity factor). This goal applies to any unplanned automatic protection system trips at any time when the reactor is critical. Each utility has committed to develop methods to thoroughly evaluate all unplanned automatic trips to identify the root causes and formulate plans to correct the root causes thus reducing future unplanned scrams. As part of this program, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) collects and evaluates information on automatic reactor trips. It publishes the results of these evaluations to aid the industry to identify root causes and corrective actions

Finnish Kullervo and chinese martial arts stories

OpenAIRE

Chen, Chapmen

2006-01-01

Introduction: There are many important Finnish plays but, due to language barrier, Finnish drama is seldom exported, particularly to Hong Kong and China.. Objective: To find out differences in mentality between the Finnish and Chinese peoples by comparing the partially localized Chinese translation of Aleksis Kivi’s tragedy, Kullervo, with genuine Chinese martial arts literature. Methodology: 1. Chapman Chen has translated the Finnish classic, Kullervo, directly from Finnish...

The nuclear power situation in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miettinen, J.K.

1976-01-01

and's limited choice of energy sources makes nuclear power especially lly attractive and it is estimated that in 1985 14% of the energy consumed will be nuclear, which will then be the second most important source after oil (49%). Four power reactors, Loviisa 1 and 2 and TVO 1 and 2, are at present under construction. The first two are Russian PWRs, the latter two Asea-Atom BWRs. Loviisa 3 and 4 are planned but not yet ordered, and plans for a 1000 MWe plant to the West of Helsinki exist. The nuclear controversy in Finland has mainly been repetitions of the US and Swedish debates since 1970. However, local opposition to the project W. of Helsinki, based on the sociological effects of the inflow of Finnish speaking workers into a rural Swedish speaking district has become apparent. In the long term 13 major nuclear power plants are envisaged by the year 2000. Finland is party to the NPT and the IAEA safeguard system. (JIW)

Effects of nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) on nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, P.R.; Manweiler, R.W.; Davis, R.R.

1977-09-01

The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from a high-altitude nuclear detonation consists of a transient pulse of high intensity electromagnetic fields. These intense fields induce current and voltage transients in electrical conductors. Although most nuclear power plant cables are not directly exposed to these fields, the attenuated EMP fields that propagate into the plant will couple some EMP energy to these cables. The report predicts the probable effects of the EMP transients that could be induced in critical circuits of safety-related systems. It was found that the most likely consequence of EMP for nuclear plants is an unscheduled shutdown. EMP could prolong the shutdown period by the unnecessary actuation of certain safety systems. In general, EMP could be a nuisance to nuclear power plants, but it is not considered a serious threat to plant safety

Nuclear power plants maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

Nuclear power plants maintenance now appears as an important factor contributing to the competitivity of nuclea energy. The articles published in this issue describe the way maintenance has been organized in France and how it led to an actual industrial activity developing and providing products and services. An information note about Georges Besse uranium enrichment plant (Eurodif) recalls that maintenance has become a main data not only for power plants but for all nuclear industry installations. (The second part of this dossier will be published in the next issue: vol. 1 January-February 1989) [fr

Cooling towers of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikyska, L.

1986-01-01

The specifications are given of cooling towers of foreign nuclear power plants and a comparison is made with specifications of cooling towers with natural draught in Czechoslovak nuclear power plants. Shortcomings are pointed out in the design of cooling towers of Czechoslovak nuclear power plants which have been derived from conventional power plant design. The main differences are in the adjustment of the towers for winter operation and in the designed spray intensity. The comparison of selected parameters is expressed graphically. (J.B.)

Technical limitations of nuclear fuel materials and structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansson, L.; Planman, T.; Vitikainen, E.

1993-05-01

This report gives a summary of the tasks carried out within the project 'Technical limitations of nuclear fuel materials and structures' which belongs to the Finnish national research programme called 'Systems behaviour and operational aspects of safety'. The duration of the project was three years from 1990 to 1992. Most western LWR utilities, including the two Finnish ones have an incentive to implement extended burnup fuel cycles in their nuclear power plants. The aim of this project has been authorities to support them in the assessment and licensing of new fuel designs and materials. The research work of the project was focused on collecting and qualifying fuel performance data and on performing laboratory tests on fresh and irradiated cladding and structural materials. Moreover, knowledge of the high burnup phenomena was obtained through participation in international research projects such as OECD Halden Project and several Studsvik projects. Experimental work within the framework of the VVER fuel cooperative effort was also continued. (orig.)

The operation of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brosche, D.

1992-01-01

The duties to be performed in managing the operation of a nuclear power plant are highly diverse, as will be explained in this contribution by the examples of the Grafenrheinfeld Nuclear Power Station. The excellent safety record and the high availabilities of German nuclear power plants demonstrate that their operators have adopted the right approaches. Systematic evaluation of the operating experience accumulated inhouse and in other plants is of great significance in removing weak spots and improving operation. The manifold and complex activities in the structure of organization and of activities in a nuclear power plant require a high degree of division of labor. (orig.) [de

4. Nuclear power plant component failures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Nuclear power plant component failures are dealt with in relation to reliability in nuclear power engineering. The topics treated include classification of failures, analysis of their causes and impacts, nuclear power plant failure data acquisition and processing, interdependent failures, and human factor reliability in nuclear power engineering. (P.A.). 8 figs., 7 tabs., 23 refs

Preparation and practice for nuclear power plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Xuesong; Lu Tiezhong

2015-01-01

The operational preparation of the nuclear power plant is an important work in nuclear power plant production preparation. Due to the construction period of nuclear power plant from starting construction to production is as long as five years, the professional requirements of nuclear power operation are very strict, and the requirements for nuclear safety are also extremely high. Especially after the Fukushima accident, higher requirements for the safe operation of nuclear power plant are posed by competent authorities of the national level, regulatory authorities and each nuclear power groups. Based on the characteristics of the construction phase of nuclear power plant and in combination with engineering practice, this paper expounds the system established in the field of nuclear power plant operation and generally analyses the related management innovation. (authors)

Nuclear Power Plant Lifetime Management Study (I)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sung Yull; Jeong, Ill Seok; Jang, Chang Heui; Song, Taek Ho; Song, Woo Young [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Tae Eun [Korea Power Engineering Company Consulting and Architecture Engineers, (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woo Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

As the operation-year of nuclear power plant increases and finding sites for new nuclear power plant becomes harder, a comprehensive and systematic nuclear plant lifetime management(PLIM) program including life extension has to be established for stable and safe supply of electricity. A feasibility study was conducted to systematically evaluate technical, economic and regulatory aspect of plant lifetime managements and plant life extension for Kori-1 nuclear power plant. For technical evaluation of nuclear power plant, 13 major components were selected for lifetime evaluation by screening system. structure, and components(SSCs) of the plant. It was found that except reactor pressure vessel, which needs detailed integrity analysis, and low pressure turbine, which is scheduled to be replaced, 11 out of 13 major components have sufficient service life, for more than 40 years. Because domestic rules and regulations related to license renewal has not yet been written, review on the regulatory aspect of life extensions was conducted using US NRC rules and regulations. A cooperative effort with nuclear regulatory body is needed for early completion of license renewal rules and regulations. For economic evaluation of plant lifetime extension, a computer program was developed and used. It was found that 10 to 20 year of extension operation of Kori-1 nuclear power plant was proved. Based on the results, next phase of plant lifetime management program for detailed lifetime evaluation and presenting detailed implementation schedule for plant refurbishment for lifetime extension should be followed. (author). 74 refs., figs.

Nuclear Power Plant Lifetime Management Study (I)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sung Yull; Jeong, Ill Seok; Jang, Chang Heui; Song, Taek Ho; Song, Woo Young [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Tae Eun [Korea Power Engineering Company Consulting and Architecture Engineers, (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woo Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1996-12-31

As the operation-year of nuclear power plant increases and finding sites for new nuclear power plant becomes harder, a comprehensive and systematic nuclear plant lifetime management(PLIM) program including life extension has to be established for stable and safe supply of electricity. A feasibility study was conducted to systematically evaluate technical, economic and regulatory aspect of plant lifetime managements and plant life extension for Kori-1 nuclear power plant. For technical evaluation of nuclear power plant, 13 major components were selected for lifetime evaluation by screening system. structure, and components(SSCs) of the plant. It was found that except reactor pressure vessel, which needs detailed integrity analysis, and low pressure turbine, which is scheduled to be replaced, 11 out of 13 major components have sufficient service life, for more than 40 years. Because domestic rules and regulations related to license renewal has not yet been written, review on the regulatory aspect of life extensions was conducted using US NRC rules and regulations. A cooperative effort with nuclear regulatory body is needed for early completion of license renewal rules and regulations. For economic evaluation of plant lifetime extension, a computer program was developed and used. It was found that 10 to 20 year of extension operation of Kori-1 nuclear power plant was proved. Based on the results, next phase of plant lifetime management program for detailed lifetime evaluation and presenting detailed implementation schedule for plant refurbishment for lifetime extension should be followed. (author). 74 refs., figs.

Ways to maintain nuclear safety competence in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanttola, T.; Mattila, L.; Reiman, L.

2000-01-01

In mid-1990's, both Finnish nuclear power operators started extensive plant modernization. National surveys indicated that the present age distribution of nuclear power experts implies shortage of resources through retirement within 10 years, unless education is timely enhanced. The current rate of nuclear energy specific education, about 10 master's degrees per year, will be too low, particularly if construction of new nuclear capacity were started. The problem is recognised, and some measures have been initiated. In Finland continued public funding for nuclear energy research is judged important to assure impartial expertise for the safety authorities. This research has been organised as national research programmes, where the requirement to raise experts is emphasised. Challenging tasks have proved to be important in motivating the students and the permanent personnel. The specific features of the VVER reactors, participation in international R and D projects and, recently, design and assessment of ALWR concepts have offered such possibilities. The image of nuclear energy affects the interest of young generation when choosing a career. One way to improve the situation is to increase communication with the public and direct information to the potential students. The need for other than technical skills is also reflected in the latest work programme of the Young Generation Network, organised by the Finnish Nuclear Society. (authors)

Nuclear plant life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negin, C.A.

1989-01-01

The nuclear power industry's addressing of life extension is a natural trend in the maturation of this technology after 20 years of commercial operation. With increasing emphasis on how plants are operated, and less on how to build them, attention is turning on to maximizing the use of these substantial investments. The first studies of life extension were conducted in the period from 1978 and 1982. These were motivated by the initiation, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), of studies to support decommissioning rulemaking. The basic conclusions of those early studies that life extension is feasible and worth pursuing have not been changed by the much more extensive investigations that have since been conducted. From an engineering perspective, life extension for nuclear plants is fundamentally the same as for fossil plants

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, J.C.; Armstrong, R.H.; Janicke, M.J.

1963-05-14

A nuclear power plant for use in an airless environment or other environment in which cooling is difficult is described. The power plant includes a boiling mercury reactor, a mercury--vapor turbine in direct cycle therewith, and a radiator for condensing mercury vapor. (AEC)

Environmental impact assessments of a fifth nuclear power plant unit in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurela, Jorma; Koivisto, Katarina

2000-01-01

This paper presents the results of president questionnaires and media monitoring of press cuttings concerned with siting of the new fifth in a row Finnish NPP. Two years ago both Fortum Power and Heat Oy and Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) launched their Environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures of a new nuclear power unit in Finland. The EIA procedures were launched to investigate the environmental impacts of a fifth nuclear power plant which possibly will be built in Loviisa or at Olkiluoto. In Finland there are four operating NPP units, two in Loviisa (Fortum) and two in Eurajoki, Olkiluoto (TVO). In the EIA procedure citizens and various associations and authorities have an opportunity to express their views on the matters related to the project. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) as the coordination authority arranges the organisation of the EIA hearings and the collection of statements and opinions. The EIA procedure in Finland takes place in two stages. The first stage i.e. the EIA programme describes the project and presents the plan on how the environmental effects are investigated and assessed. In the second stage the actual assessment of the environmental effects of the project will be submitted. Both Fortum and Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) launched in spring 1998 their EIA procedures. The main alternatives are the Loviisa 3 project includes two plant type alternatives. The size of the plant is between 1000 and 1700 MWe, and the extension project of the Olkiluoto NPP to build a NPP unit of about 1000-1500 MWe at Olkiluoto. The EIA reports were submitted to the MTI in August 1999 and after that they were on display for two months for opinions and statements

QA programs in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellingson, A.C.

1976-01-01

As an overview of quality assurance programs in nuclear power plants, the energy picture as it appears today is reviewed. Nuclear power plants and their operations are described and an attempt is made to place in proper perspective the alleged ''threats'' inherent in nuclear power. Finally, the quality assurance programs being used in the nuclear industry are described

At the Roots of Finnish Elementary Education – How Were Children Raised in the First Finnish Elementary Schools?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satu UUSIAUTTI

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study dissects the history of Finnish elementary education and the way children were raised during the initial phase of Finnish education in the 18th century. The development of Finnish education was studied through contemporary decrees and laws and studies of Finnish school history. The preliminary aim was to focus on the principles and practices of raising children in Finnish schools. This study focuses on (1 describing the birth, goals, and practices of Finnish elementary education and development toward compulsory education, (2 describing the way children were raised toward the contemporary goals, and (3 dissecting the connection between teacher training and the goals of raising children in Finnish schools. All these viewpoints are discussed from the viewpoint of how the aspirations and objectives were realized and implemented in practice in raising children. As a conclusion, we discuss the influence of the past in today’s educational practices.

At the Roots of Finnish Elementary Education –How Were Children Raised in the First Finnish Elementary Schools?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satu UUSIAUTTI

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study dissects the history of Finnish elementary education and the way children were raised during the initial phase of Finnish education in the 18th century. The development of Finnish education was studied through contemporary decrees and laws and studies of Finnish school history. The preliminary aim was to focus on the principles and practices of raising children in Finnish schools. This study focuses on (1 describing the birth, goals, and practices of Finnish elementary education and development toward compulsory education, (2 describing the way children were raised toward the contemporary goals, and (3 dissecting the connection between teacher training and the goals of raising children in Finnish schools. All these viewpoints are discussed from the viewpoint of how the aspirations and objectives were realized and implemented in practice in raising children. As a conclusion, we discuss the influence of the past in today’s educational practices.

Atucha I nuclear power plant transients analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castano, J.; Schivo, M.

1987-01-01

A program for the transients simulation thermohydraulic calculation without loss of coolant (KWU-ENACE development) to evaluate Atucha I nuclear power plant behaviour is used. The program includes systems simulation and nuclear power plants control bonds with real parameters. The calculation results show a good agreement with the output 'protocol' of various transients of the nuclear power plant, keeping the error, in general, lesser than ± 10% from the variation of the nuclear power plant's state variables. (Author)

Safety culture in the Finnish and Swedish nuclear industries - history and present

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reiman, T.; Pietikaeinen, E. (Technical Research Centre of Finland, VTT (Finland)); Kahlbom, U. (RiskPilot AB (Sweden)); Rollenhagen, C. (Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) (Sweden))

2010-03-15

The report presents results from an interview study that examined the characteristics of the Nordic nuclear branch safety culture. The study also tested the theoretical model of safety culture developed by the authors. The interview data was collected in Sweden (n = 14) and Finland (n = 16). Interviewees represented the major actors in the nuclear field (regulators, power companies, expert organizations, waste management organizations). The study gave insight into the nature of safety culture in the nuclear industry. It provided an overview on the variety of factors that people in the industry consider important for safety. The respondents rather coherently saw such psychological states as motivation, mindfulness, sense of control, understanding of hazards and safety and sense of responsibility as important for nuclear safety. Some of the respondents described a certain Nordic orientation towards safety. One characteristic was a sense of personal responsibility for safety. However, there was no clear agreement on the existence of a shared Nordic nuclear safety culture. Sweden and Finland were seen different for example in the way the co-operation between plants and nuclear safety authorities was arranged and re-search activities organized. There were also perceived differences in the way everyday activities like decision making were carried out in the organizations. There are multiple explanations for the differences. The industry in Sweden has been driven by the strong supplier. In Finland the regulator's role in shaping the culture has been more active. Other factors creating differences are e.g. national culture and company culture and the type of the power plant. Co-operation between Nordic nuclear power organizations was viewed valuable yet challenging from safety point of view. The report concludes that a good safety culture requires a deep and wide under-standing of nuclear safety including the various accident mechanisms of the power plants as well as

Safety culture in the Finnish and Swedish nuclear industries - history and present

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiman, T.; Pietikaeinen, E.; Kahlbom, U.; Rollenhagen, C.

2010-03-01

The report presents results from an interview study that examined the characteristics of the Nordic nuclear branch safety culture. The study also tested the theoretical model of safety culture developed by the authors. The interview data was collected in Sweden (n = 14) and Finland (n = 16). Interviewees represented the major actors in the nuclear field (regulators, power companies, expert organizations, waste management organizations). The study gave insight into the nature of safety culture in the nuclear industry. It provided an overview on the variety of factors that people in the industry consider important for safety. The respondents rather coherently saw such psychological states as motivation, mindfulness, sense of control, understanding of hazards and safety and sense of responsibility as important for nuclear safety. Some of the respondents described a certain Nordic orientation towards safety. One characteristic was a sense of personal responsibility for safety. However, there was no clear agreement on the existence of a shared Nordic nuclear safety culture. Sweden and Finland were seen different for example in the way the co-operation between plants and nuclear safety authorities was arranged and re-search activities organized. There were also perceived differences in the way everyday activities like decision making were carried out in the organizations. There are multiple explanations for the differences. The industry in Sweden has been driven by the strong supplier. In Finland the regulator's role in shaping the culture has been more active. Other factors creating differences are e.g. national culture and company culture and the type of the power plant. Co-operation between Nordic nuclear power organizations was viewed valuable yet challenging from safety point of view. The report concludes that a good safety culture requires a deep and wide under-standing of nuclear safety including the various accident mechanisms of the power plants as well as a

Guidelines for nuclear plant response to an earthquake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-12-01

Guidelines have been developed to assist nuclear plant personnel in the preparation of earthquake response procedures for nuclear power plants. The objectives of the earthquake response procedures are to determine (1) the immediate effects of an earthquake on the physical condition of the nuclear power plant, (2) if shutdown of the plant is appropriate based on the observed damage to the plant or because the OBE has been exceeded, and (3) the readiness of the plant to resume operation following shutdown due to an earthquake. Readiness of a nuclear power plant to restart is determined on the basis of visual inspections of nuclear plant equipment and structures, and the successful completion of surveillance tests which demonstrate that the limiting conditions for operation as defined in the plant Technical Specifications are met. The guidelines are based on information obtained from a review of earthquake response procedures from numerous US and foreign nuclear power plants, interviews with nuclear plant operations personnel, and a review of reports of damage to industrial equipment and structures in actual earthquakes. 7 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project Evaluation of Siting a HTGR Co-generation Plant on an Operating Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demick, L.E.

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes an evaluation by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project of siting a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) plant on an existing nuclear plant site that is located in an area of significant industrial activity. This is a co-generation application in which the HTGR Plant will be supplying steam and electricity to one or more of the nearby industrial plants.

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project Evaluation of Siting a HTGR Co-generation Plant on an Operating Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

L.E. Demick

2011-10-01

This paper summarizes an evaluation by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project of siting a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) plant on an existing nuclear plant site that is located in an area of significant industrial activity. This is a co-generation application in which the HTGR Plant will be supplying steam and electricity to one or more of the nearby industrial plants.

Medium-size nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogelweith, L.; Lavergne, J.C.; Martinot, G.; Weiss, A.

1977-01-01

CEA (TECHNICATOME) has developed a range of pressurized water reactors of the type ''CAS compact'' which are adapted to civil ship propulsion, or to electric power production, combined possibly with heat production, up to outputs equivalent to 125 MWe. Nuclear plants equipped with these reactors are suitable to medium-size electric networks. Among the possible realizations, two types of plants are mentioned as examples: 1) Floating electron-nuclear plants; and 2) Combined electric power and desalting plants. The report describes the design characteristics of the different parts of a 125 MWe unit floating electro-nuclear plant: nuclear steam system CAS 3 G, power generating plant, floating platform for the whole plant. The report gives attention to the different possibilities according to site conditions (the plant can be kept floating, in a natural or artificial basin, it can be put aground, ...) and to safety and environment factors. Such unit can be used in places where there is a growing demand in electric power and fresh water. The report describes how the reactor, the power generating plant and multiflash distillation units of an electric power-desalting plant can be combined: choice of the ratio water output/electric power output, thermal cycle combination, choice of the gain ratio, according to economic considerations, and to desired goal of water output. The report analyses also some technical options, such as: choice of the extraction point of steam used as heat supply of the desalting station (bleeding a condensation turbine, or recovering steam at the exhaust of a backpressure turbine), design making the system safe. Lastly, economic considerations are dealt with: combining the production of fresh water and electric power provides usually a much better energy balance and a lower cost for both products. Examples are given of some types of installations which combine medium-size reactors with fresh water stations yielding from 10000 to 120000 m 3 per day

Analysis of color environment in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natori, Kazuyuki; Akagi, Ichiro; Souma, Ichiro; Hiraki, Tadao; Sakurai, Yukihiro.

1996-01-01

This article reports the results of color and psychological analysis of the outlook of nuclear power plants and the visual environments inside of the plants. Study one was the color measurements of the outlook of nuclear plants and the visual environment inside of the plants. Study two was a survey of the impressions on the visual environments of nuclear plants obtained from observers and interviews of the workers. Through these analysis, we have identified the present state of, and the problems of the color environments of the nuclear plants. In the next step, we have designed the color environments of inside and outside of the nuclear plants which we would recommend (inside designs were about fuel handling room, operation floor of turbine building, observers' pathways, central control room, rest room for the operators). Study three was the survey about impressions on our design inside and outside of the nuclear plants. Nuclear plant observers, residents in Osaka city, residents near the nuclear plants, the operators, employees of subsidiary company and the PR center guides rated their impressions on the designs. Study four was the survey about the design of the rest room for the operators controlling the plants. From the results of four studies, we have proposed some guidelines and problems about the future planning about the visual environments of nuclear power plants. (author)

Modelling of nuclear power plant decommissioning financing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bemš, J; Knápek, J; Králík, T; Hejhal, M; Kubančák, J; Vašíček, J

2015-06-01

Costs related to the decommissioning of nuclear power plants create a significant financial burden for nuclear power plant operators. This article discusses the various methodologies employed by selected European countries for financing of the liabilities related to the nuclear power plant decommissioning. The article also presents methodology of allocation of future decommissioning costs to the running costs of nuclear power plant in the form of fee imposed on each megawatt hour generated. The application of the methodology is presented in the form of a case study on a new nuclear power plant with installed capacity 1000 MW. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Proceedings of an international workshop on historic dose experience and dose reduction (ALARA) at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horan, J.R.; Baum, J.W.; Dionne, B.J.

1985-06-01

Dose reduction data and experience from 28 foreign and 10 US nuclear power plants was examined to determine causes for the wide variations in occupational dose from country to country. Major topics discussed were: steam generator and refueling maintenance problems; utility and supplier ALARA programs; effectiveness of dose-reduction modifications; attitudes and training; current and future dose-reduction research. While many parameters contribute to differences of occupational doses between plants from different nations, it is clear that most US plants have higher collective dose equivalent per reactor per megawatt-year than most other countries, even for plants of similar size and age. Worldwide, Finnish and Swedish plants, both PWR and BWR, have achieved the lowest values. Major factors which contribute to low doses include: (1) minimization of cobalt in primary system components exposed to water; (2) careful plant design, layout and component segregation and shielding; (3) plant standardization; (4) selection of components and systems for increased reliability; (5) management interest and commitment; (6) minimum number of workers and in-depth worker training; (7) careful control of primary system oxygen and pH; (8) good primary system water purity to minimize corrosion product formation; (9) use of special tools and robotics; (10) decontamination and passivation of primary systems and components; and (11) extent of backfitting and mandated inspections

World nuclear power plant capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This report provides the background information for statistics and analysis developed by NUKEM in its monthly Market Report on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. The assessments in this Special Report are based on the continuous review of individual nuclear power plant projects. This Special Report begins with tables summarizing a variety of nuclear power generating capacity statistics for 1990. It continues with a brief review of the year's major events regarding each country's nuclear power program. The standard NUKEM Market Report tables on nuclear plant capacity are given on pages 24 and 25. Owing to space limitations, the first year shown is 1988. Please refer to previous Special Reports for data covering earlier years. Detailed tables for each country list all existing plants as well as those expected by NUKEM to be in commercial operation by the end of 2005. An Appendix containing a list of abbreviations can be found starting on page 56. Only nuclear power plants intended for civilian use are included in this Special Report. Reactor lifetimes are assumed to be 35 years for all light water reactors and 30 years for all other reactor types, unless other data or definite decommissioning dates have been published by the operators. (orig./UA) [de

Development of nuclear power plant Risk Monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Xiaoming; Sun Jinlong; Ma Chao; Wang Lin; Gu Xiaohui; Bao Zhenli; Qu Yong; Zheng Hao

2014-01-01

Risk Monitor is a tool to monitor the real-time risk of a nuclear power plant for risk management and comprehensive decision-making, which has been widely used all over the world. The nuclear power plant Risk Monitor applies the real-time risk model with low-complicacy that could reflect the plant's actual configuration, automatically reads the plant's configuration information from the engineering system through the developed interface, and efficiently analyzes the plant's risk Dy the intelligent parallel-computing method in order to provide the risk basement for the safety management of nuclear power plant. This paper generally introduces the background, architecture, functions and key technical features of a nuclear power plant Risk Monitor, and validates the risk result, which could well reflect the plant's risk information and has a significant practical value. (authors)

Finnish support programme to IAEA safeguards. Annual report 1993; Suomen tukiohjelma IAEA:n safeguards-valvonnalle. Vuoden 1993 toimintakertomus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarvainen, M [ed.

1994-03-01

Implementation of the Finnish Support Programme to IAEA Safeguards (FINSP) during the calender year in question is summarized. FINSP is carried out through separate tasks related to development of non-destructive measurement methods (NDA methods) for verification of nuclear material, training and expert services to the IAEA. In addition to a Finnish summary, the report includes detailed description of each task in English. (editor).

Finnish support programme to IAEA safeguards. Annual report 1992; Suomen tukiohjelma IAEA:n safeguards-valvonnalle. Vuoden 1992 toimintakertomus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarvainen, M [ed.

1993-04-01

Implementation of the Finnish Support Programme to IAEA Safeguards (FINSP) during the calender year in question is summarized. FINSP is carried out through separate tasks related to development of non-destructive measurement methods (NDA methods) for verification of nuclear material, training and expert services to the IAEA. In addition to a Finnish summary, the report includes detailed description of each task in English. (editor).

HVDC transmission from nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Yukio; Takenaka, Kiyoshi; Taniguchi, Haruto; Ueda, Kiyotaka

1980-01-01

HVDC transmission directly from a nuclear power plant is expected as one of the bulk power transmission systems from distant power generating area. Successively from the analysis of HVDC transmission from BWR-type nuclear power plant, this report discusses dynamic response characteristics of HVDC transmission (double poles, two circuits) from PWR type nuclear power plant due to dc-line faults (DC-1LG, 2LG) and ac-line faults (3LG) near inverter station. (author)

The application of plant information system on third Qinshan nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wangtian

2005-01-01

Plant overall control has been applied in Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, which enhances the security of plant operation, but it is not enough to improve the technical administration level. In order to integrate the overall information and to improve the technical administration level more. Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant applies the plant information system. This thesis introduces the application of plant information system in Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant and the effect to the plant after the system is carried into execution, in addition, it does more analysis and exceptions for application of plant information system in the future. (authors)

Safety criteria for nuclear chemical plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, P.W.; Curtis, L.M.

1983-01-01

Safety measures have always been required to limit the hazards due to accidental release of radioactive substances from nuclear power plants and chemical plants. The risk associated with the discharge of radioactive substances during normal operation has also to be kept acceptably low. BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.) are developing risk criteria as targets for safe plant design and operation. The numerical values derived are compared with these criteria to see if plants are 'acceptably safe'. However, the criteria are not mandatory and may be exceeded if this can be justified. The risk assessments are subject to independent review and audit. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate also has to pass the plants as safe. The assessment principles it uses are stated. The development of risk criteria for a multiplant site (nuclear chemical plants tend to be sited with many others which are related functionally) is discussed. This covers individual members of the general public, societal risks, risks to the workforce and external hazards. (U.K.)

Development on database for foreign nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuda, Yasunori; Yanagi, Chihiro

1999-01-01

The Nuclear Information Project in Institute of Nuclear Technology, Institute of Nuclear Safety Systems, Inc. (INSS) has been carrying out two activities related to technical information about nuclear power plants. The first is collection and analysis of accidents and incidents (troubles) of nuclear power plants in U.S.A. and West Europe and making draft of action proposals. The second is collection of main laws, government ordinances, regulatory guides, standard and domestic and international technical news connected with nuclear power plants. This report describes these two data bases about nuclear power plants details. (author)

Chemistry management system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasawa, Katsumi; Maeda, Katsuji

1998-01-01

Recently, the chemistry management in the nuclear power plants has been changing from the problem solution to the predictive diagnosis and maintenance. It is important to maintain the integrity of plant operation by an adequate chemistry control. For these reasons, many plant operation data and chemistry analysis data should be collected and treated effectively to evaluate chemistry condition of the nuclear power plants. When some indications of chemistry anomalies occur, quick and effective root cause evaluation and countermeasures should be required. The chemistry management system has been developed as to provide sophisticate chemistry management in the nuclear power plants. This paper introduces the concept and functions of the chemistry management system for the nuclear power plants. (author)

Life management plants at nuclear power plants PWR; Planes de gestion de vida en centrales nucleares PWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esteban, G.

2014-10-01

Since in 2009 the CSN published the Safety Instruction IS-22 (1) which established the regulatory framework the Spanish nuclear power plants must meet in regard to Life Management, most of Spanish nuclear plants began a process of convergence of their Life Management Plants to practice 10 CFR 54 (2), which is the current standard of Spanish nuclear industry for Ageing Management, either during the design lifetime of the plant, as well as for Long-Term Operation. This article describe how Life Management Plans are being implemented in Spanish PWR NPP. (Author)

YKAe - Nuclear power plant systems behaviour and operational aspects of safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayns, M.R.; Wolfert, K.; Sandervaag, O.

1992-12-01

The report is a mid term evaluation of the YKAe programme started in 1990. In the area safe margins of nuclear fuel and reactor core the work in support of improved performance of LWR fuel is primarily an economic matter and, therefore, should be funded directly by the utilities. As regards assessment of transient and accident situations the experiments in the PACTEL facility provide conditions for VVER reactors which are not available anywhere else. Every effort should be made to utilize this facility in further international programmes. The analysis methods developed for accident and the fire risk studies are excellent and well focused in the specific needs of the Finnish programmes. Further activities in transient and accident modelling should be coupled with the work of the APROS programme. Studies on the new technology in supervision and control of nuclear power plant processes are of special importance to Finland either for the 5th nuclear power station or for the upgrading existing systems. The work on computerized operator support systems looks to be achieving maturity and should be considered for more downstream funding. The human factors studies are of direct relevance to reactor operations. The human factors research appears sub-critical and deserves more support. Overall, the Evaluation Team felt that this small programme was well focused on Finland's needs, well integrated into the international programmes and provided good value for money. The programme direction and balance is good, and with only minor shift emphasis, should carry on its projected course

Nuclear power plant V-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The nuclear power plant Bohunice V -1 is briefly described. This NPP consists from two reactor units. Their main time characteristics are (Reactor Unit 1, Reactor Unit 2): beginning of construction - 24 April 1972; first controlled reactor power - 27 November 1978, 15 March 1980; connection to the grid - 17 December 1978, 26 March 1980; commercial operation - 1 April 1980, 7 January 1981. This leaflet contains: NPP V-1 construction; Major technological equipment (Primary circuit: Nuclear reactor [WWER 440 V230 type reactor];Steam generator; Reactor Coolant Pumps; Primary Circuit Auxiliary Systems. Secondary circuit: Turbine generators, Nuclear power plant electrical equipment; power plant control) and technical data

Man and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

According to the Inst. fuer Unfallforschung/TUeV Rheinland, Koeln, the interpretation of empirical data gained from the operation of nuclear power plants at home and abroad during the period 1967-1975 has shown that about 38% of all reactor accidents were caused by human failures. These occured either during the design and construction, the commissioning, the reconditioning or the operation of the plants. This very fact stresses human responsibility for the safety of nuclear power plants, in spite of those plants being automated to a high degree and devices. (orig.) [de

75 FR 16524 - FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, Perry Nuclear Power Plant; Exemption

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Company, Perry Nuclear Power Plant; Exemption 1.0 Background FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC... the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 (PNPP). The license provides, among other things, that the... date for all operating nuclear power plants, but noted that the Commission's regulations provide...

Challenges for new nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruschi, H.J.

2000-01-01

In the past 20 years, numerous new nuclear plant designs have been introduced in the hope of generating a mixture of features and benefits that generated enough enthusiasm amongst the utility industry decision makers to move forward with a new nuclear generation. Not only has there not been enough enthusiasm, there has been little interest in building new plants with advanced features, especially in the U.S. Compounding this predicament are the changing paradigms to which a new plant would be measured. The near hiatus on new plant orders is the clear cause of the significant consolidation in the nuclear industry. Regardless whether the disappearance of old-line nuclear companies is over or not, some paradigms for new generation designs are unmovable, while others are still under discussion as to their role in future plant designs. This paper will address those design goals that Westinghouse deems already having earned the rank of exemplar, and those still open to debate. Because it is my hope that this paper will lead to a fruitful discussion period, I will provide a list of what I feel are the champion design requirements, and those I consider the contenders. (author)

Safety culture in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weihe, G. von; Pamme, H.

2003-01-01

Experience shows that German nuclear power plants have always been operated reliably and safely. Over the years, the safety level in these plants has been raised considerably so that they can stand any comparison with other countries. This is confirmed by the two reports published by the Federal Ministry for the Environment on the nuclear safety convention. Behind this, there must obviously stand countless appropriate 'good practices' and a safety management system in nuclear power plants. (orig.) [de

Elecnuc - Nuclear power plants in the world - 2009 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This small booklet summarizes in tables all data relative to the nuclear power plants worldwide. These data come from the IAEA's PRIS and AREVA-CEA's GAIA databases. The following aspects are reviewed: 2008 highlights, Main characteristics of reactor types, Map of the French nuclear power plants on 2008/01/01, Worldwide status of nuclear power plants (12/31/2008), Units distributed by countries, Nuclear power plants connected to the Grid- by reactor type groups, Nuclear power plants under construction on 2008, Evolution of nuclear power plants capacities connected to the grid, First electric generations supplied by a nuclear unit in each country, Electrical generation from nuclear powe plants by country at the end 2008, Performance indicator of french PWR units, Evolution of the generation indicators worldwide by type, Nuclear operator ranking according to their installed capacity, Units connected to the grid by countries at 12/31/2008, Status of licence renewal applications in USA, Nuclear power plants under construction at 12/31/2008, Shutdown reactors, Exported nuclear capacity in net MWe, Exported and national nuclear capacity connected to the grid, Exported nuclear power plants under construction, Exported and national nuclear capacity under construction, Nuclear power plants ordered at 12/31/2008, Long term shutdown units at 12/31/2008, COL applications in the USA, Recycling of Plutonium in reactors and experiences, Mox licence plants projects, Appendix - historical development, Meaning of the used acronyms, Glossary

ELECNUC Nuclear power plants in the world - 2013 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This small booklet summarizes in a series of tables the figures relative to the nuclear power plants worldwide. Data come from the IAEA's PRIS database and from specific I-tese studies. The following aspects are reviewed: 2012 highlights; Main characteristics of reactor types; Map of the French nuclear power plants on 2012/01/01; Worldwide status of nuclear power plants (12/31/2012); Units distributed by countries; Nuclear power plants connected to the Grid- by reactor type groups; Nuclear power plants under construction on 2012; Evolution of nuclear power plants capacities connected to the grid; First electric generations supplied by a nuclear unit in each country; Electrical generation from nuclear power plants by country at the end 2012; Performance indicator of french PWR units; Evolution of the generation indicators worldwide by type; Nuclear operator ranking according to their installed capacity; Units connected to the grid by countries at 12/31/2012; Status of licence renewal applications in USA; Nuclear power plants under construction at 12/31/2012; Shutdown reactors; Exported nuclear capacity in net MWe; Exported and national nuclear capacity connected to the grid; Exported nuclear power plants under construction; Exported and national nuclear capacity under construction; Nuclear power plants ordered at 12/31/2012; Long term shutdown units at 12/31/2012; COL (Combined Licence) applications in the USA; Recycling of Plutonium in reactors and experiences; Mox licence plants projects; Appendix - historical development; Meaning of the used acronyms; Glossary

Finnish Bioenergy Association - Finbio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sopo, R.

1999-01-01

The Finnish Bioenergy Association, was founded in November 1991 in the city of Jyvaeskylae. In November 1996, the membership of FINBIO consisted of 17 contributing collective members and 75 individual members. Members of the organization include e.g. the Association of Finnish Peat Industries, Wood Energy Association and Finnish Biogas Centre, all of which represent specific bioenergy fields in Finland. The Finnish Bioenergy Association is a private, non-profit organization the objectives of which are to promote and develop harvesting, transportation and processing of biofuels and other biomass (wood-based biofuels, non-food crops, peat, biowaste); to promote the use of biomass in energy production and in other applications, in accordance with environmentally sound and sustainable development. The objectives of FINBIO is to promote the production and application of all forms of bioenergy in Finland. FINBIO acts as a coordinator for AEBIOM (the European Biomass Association) and its member associations, as well as for other international bioenergy-related organizations

Implication of dual-purpose nuclear desalination plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutbi, I.I.

1983-01-01

Available dual purpose nuclear desalination schemes are reviewed. Three specific issues namely, impact of availability and reliability of the desalination stage of the plant, integration of the desalination and power production stages and new safety concerns of dual system, relating to desalination schemes are discussed. Results of operational and reliability studies of nuclear power stations, reverse osmosis and multistage flash distillation desalination plants are considered. Operational aspects of nuclear-multistage flash distillation, nuclear-reverse osmosis and nuclear-multistage flash distillation-reverse osmosis are compared. Concludes that the combined nuclear-multistage flash distillation-reverse osmosis plant arrangement permits very large production capacity, high availability, improvement of plant reliability and proovision of savings on the cost of water and power produced. 23 Ref

Quantifying the social costs of nuclear energy: Perceived risk of accident at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huhtala, Anni; Remes, Piia

2017-01-01

The preferences expressed in voting on nuclear reactor licenses and the risk perceptions of citizens provide insights into social costs of nuclear power and decision making in energy policy. We show analytically that these costs consist of disutility caused by unnecessary anxiety - due to misperceived risks relating to existing reactors - and where licenses for new nuclear reactors are not granted, delayed or totally lost energy production. Empirical evidence is derived from Finnish surveys eliciting explicitly the importance of risk perceptions on preferences regarding nuclear power and its environmental and economic impacts. We show that the estimated marginal impact of a high perceived risk of nuclear accident is statistically significant and that such a perception considerably decreases the probability of a person supporting nuclear power. This result holds across a number of robustness checks including an instrumental variable estimation and a model validation by observed voting behavior of the members of Parliament. The public's risk perceptions translate into a significant social cost, and are likely to affect the revenues, costs and financing conditions in the nuclear power sector in the future. - Highlights: • Survey on preferences regarding nuclear power and its environmental and economic impacts utilized. • A high perceived risk of nuclear accident decreases support for nuclear power. • The public's risk perceptions translate into a significant social cost.

Nuclear power plants: 2009 atw compact statistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2010-01-01

At the turn of 2009/2010, nuclear power plants were available for energy supply in 30 countries of the world. A total of 437 nuclear power plants, which is one plant less than at the 2008/2009 turn, were in operation with an aggregate gross power of approx. 391 GWe and an aggregate net power, respectively, of 371 GWe. The available gross power of nuclear power plants did not changed noticeably from 2008 to the end of 2009. In total 2 nuclear generating units were commissioned in 2009. One NPP started operation in India and one in Japan. Three nuclear generating units in Japan (2) und Lithuania (1) were decomissioned in 2009. 52 nuclear generating units, i.e. 10 plants more than at the end of 2008, with an aggregate gross power of approx. 51 GWe, were under construction in 14 countries end of 2009. New or continued projects are notified from (number of new projects): China (+9), Russia (1), and South Korea (1). Some 84 new nuclear power plants are in the concrete project design, planning and licensing phases worldwide; on some of them, contracts have already been awarded. Another units are in their preliminary project phases. (orig.)

Nuclear power plants: 2008 atw compact statistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

At the turn of 2008/2009, nuclear power plants were available for energy supply in 31 countries of the world. A total of 438 nuclear power plants, which is one plant less than at the 2007/2008 turn, were in operation with an aggregate gross power of approx. 393 GWe and an aggregate net power, respectively, of 372 GWe. The available gross power of nuclear power plants didn't changed noticeabely from 2007 to the end of 2008. No nuclear generating unit was commissioned in 2008. One nuclear generating unit in the Slovak Republic was decomissioned in 2008. 42 nuclear generating units, i.e. 10 plants more than at the end of 2007, with an aggregate gross power of approx. 38 GWe, were under construction in 14 countries end of 2008. New or continued projects are notified from (in brackets: number of new projects): Bulgaria (2), China (5), South Korea (2), Russia (1), and the Slovak Republic (2). Some 80 new nuclear power plants are in the concrete project design, planning and licensing phases worldwide; on some of them, contracts have already been awarded. Another approximately 120 units are in their preliminary project phases. (orig.)

Fire scenarios in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asp, I.B.; MacDougall, E.A.; Hall, R.E.

1978-01-01

This report defines a Design Base Fire and looks at 3 major areas of a hypothetical model for a Nuclear Power Plant. In each of these areas a Design Base Fire was developed and explained. In addition, guidance is given for comparing fire conditions of a given Nuclear Power Plant with the model plant described. Since there is such a wide variation in nuclear plant layouts, model areas were chosen for simplicity. The areas were not patterned after any existing plant area; rather several plant layouts were reviewed and a simplified model developed. The developed models considered several types of fires. The fire selected was considered to be the dominant one for the case in point. In general, the dominant fire selected is time dependent and starts at a specific location. After these models were developed, a comparison was drawn between the model and an operating plant for items such as area, cable numbers and weight, tray sizes and lengths. The heat loads of the model plant are summarized by area and compared with those of an actual operating plant. This document is intended to be used as a guide in the evaluation of fire hazards in nuclear power stations and a summarization of one acceptable analytical methodology to accomplish this

Ventilation-air conditioner system in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubota, Ryuji; Sugisaki, Toshihiko.

1989-01-01

This invention concerns a ventilation-air conditioner system which enables, upon occurrence of accidents in a nuclear power plant, continuous operation for other adjacent nuclear power plants with no effect of accidents. Air supply system and exhaust system are operated during usual operaiton. If loss of coolants accidents should occur in an adjacent nuclear power plants, operation is switched from ventilation operaiton to the operation of re-cycling system based on an AND logic of three signals, that is, a pressure HIGH signal for the reactor container, a water level LOW signal for the reactor and a radioactivity signal of the ventilation-air conditioner sytem on the side of air supply in the nuclear power plant. Thus, nuclear reactor buildings of the nuclear power plant are from the external atmosphere. Therefore, the radioactivity HIGH signal for switching to the emergency air conditioner system of the nuclear power plant is not actuated due to the loss of coolant accidents in the adjacent nuclear power plant. In addition, since the atmospheric temperature in the nuclear reactor building can be maintained by a cooling device disposed to the recycling system, reactor shutdown can be prevented. (I.S.)

Vital areas at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cameron, D.F.

1985-01-01

Vital area analysis of nuclear power plants has been performed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the Los Alamos National Laboratory from the late 1970's through the present. The Los Alamos Vital Area Study uses a fault-tree modeling technique to identify vital areas and equipment at nuclear power plants to determine their vulnerability. This technique has been applied to all operating plants and approximately one-half of those under construction in the US. All saboteur-induced loss-of-coolant accidents and transients and the systems needed to mitigate them are considered. As a result of this effort, security programs at nuclear power plants now include vulnerability studies that identify targets in a systematic manner, and thus unnecessary protection has been minimized. 1 ref., 8 figs., 1 tab

78 FR 38739 - Special Nuclear Material Control and Accounting Systems for Nuclear Power Plants

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-27

... Systems for Nuclear Power Plants AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Regulatory guide; issuance... Guide (RG) 5.29, ``Special Nuclear Material Control and Accounting Systems for Nuclear Power Plants... material control and accounting. This guide applies to all nuclear power plants. ADDRESSES: Please refer to...

China’s Nuclear Power Plants in Operation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2011-01-01

Qinshan Plant Phase I Located in Haiyan,Zhejiang Province,Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant Phase I is t he first 300-megawatt pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant independently designed,constructed,operated and managed by China.The plant came into commercial operation in April 1994.

Commissioning of the nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furtado, P.M.; Rolf, F.

1984-01-01

Nuclear Power Plant Angra 2, located at Itaorna Beach-Angra dos Reis is the first plant of the Brazilian-German Agreement to be commissioned. The Nuclear Power Plant is a pressurized water reactor rated at 3765 Mw thermal/1325 Mw electrical. For commissioning purpose the plant is divided into 110 systems. Plant commissioning objective is to demonstrate the safe and correct operation of each plan component, system and of the whole plant in agreement with design conditions, licensing requirements and contractual obligations. This work gives a description of plant commissioning objectives, activities their time sequence, and documentation. (Author) [pt

Partner of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gribi, M.; Lauer, F.; Pauli, W.; Ruzek, W.

1992-01-01

Sulzer, the Swiss technology group, is a supplier of components and systems for nuclear power plants. Important parts of Swiss nuclear power stations, such as containments, reactor pressure vessels, primary pipings, are made in Winterthur. Sulzer Thermtec AG and some divisions of Sulzer Innotec focus their activities on servicing and backfitting nuclear power plants. The European market enjoys priority. New types of valves or systems are developed as economic solutions meeting more stringent criteria imposed by public authorities or arising from operating conditions. (orig.) [de

The safety of nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1988-01-01

Do nuclear power plants present an unjustifiable risk Can there be confidence in their safety The Uranium Institute invited a group of senior safety experts from eight different Western countries operating different types of reactors to provide an authoritative explanation for non-specialists of the basic principles of reactor safety, their application and their implications. The report presents the group's opinion on the level of safety achieved in the Western nuclear power plants with which the authors are directly familiar. Although many of the points made may well also be true for non-Western reactors, the report does not cover them except where specifically stated. It does describe and discuss the causes of the Chernobyl disaster. It does not compare nuclear power with other fuels, nor does it deal with its benefits, since however great the benefits from the peaceful use of nuclear power, and its own advantages over other fuels, they could not compensate for lack of safety. The conclusion reached is that the risk associated with electricity production at nuclear power plants can be kept very low. Proper use of the extensive knowledge available today can guarantee operation of nuclear power plants at very high safety levels, carrying very low risks, both to health and of contamination of the environment: risks that are continually lowered by upgrading existing plants and their operation, and by the design of future power plants. (author).

Countermeasures to earthquakes in nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Kazuhide

1979-01-01

The contribution of atomic energy to mankind is unmeasured, but the danger of radioactivity is a special thing. Therefore in the design of nuclear power plants, the safety has been regarded as important, and in Japan where earthquakes occur frequently, the countermeasures to earthquakes have been incorporated in the examination of safety naturally. The radioactive substances handled in nuclear power stations and spent fuel reprocessing plants are briefly explained. The occurrence of earthquakes cannot be predicted effectively, and the disaster due to earthquakes is apt to be remarkably large. In nuclear plants, the prevention of damage in the facilities and the maintenance of the functions are required at the time of earthquakes. Regarding the location of nuclear plants, the history of earthquakes, the possible magnitude of earthquakes, the properties of ground and the position of nuclear plants should be examined. After the place of installation has been decided, the earthquake used for design is selected, evaluating live faults and determining the standard earthquakes. As the fundamentals of aseismatic design, the classification according to importance, the earthquakes for design corresponding to the classes of importance, the combination of loads and allowable stress are explained. (Kako, I.)

Nuclear reactor kinetics and plant control

CERN Document Server

Oka, Yoshiaki

2013-01-01

Understanding time-dependent behaviors of nuclear reactors and the methods of their control is essential to the operation and safety of nuclear power plants. This book provides graduate students, researchers, and engineers in nuclear engineering comprehensive information on both the fundamental theory of nuclear reactor kinetics and control and the state-of-the-art practice in actual plants, as well as the idea of how to bridge the two. The first part focuses on understanding fundamental nuclear kinetics. It introduces delayed neutrons, fission chain reactions, point kinetics theory, reactivit

Elecnuc. Nuclear power plants in the world. 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maubacq, F.; Tailland, C.

1997-04-01

This small booklet provides information about all type of nuclear power plants worldwide. It is based on the data taken from the CEA/DSE/SEE Elecnuc database. The content comprises: the 1996 highlights, the main characteristics of the different type of reactors in operation or under construction, the map of the French nuclear power plant sites, the worldwide status of nuclear power plants at the end of 1996, the nuclear power plants in operation, under construction or on order (by groups of reactor-types), the power capacity evolution of power plants in operation, the net and gross capacity of the power plants on the grid, the commercial operation and grid connection forecasts, the first achieved or expected power generation supplied by a nuclear reactor for each country and the power generation from nuclear reactors, the performance indicator of the PWR units in France, the trends of the power generation indicator worldwide, the nuclear power plants in operation, under construction, on order, planned, cancelled, decommissioned and exported worldwide, the schedule of steam generator replacements, and the MOX fuel plutonium recycling programme. (J.S.)

Nuclear plant aging research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eissenberg, D.M.

1987-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, has established the Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program in its Division of Engineering Technology. Principal contractors for this program include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The program goals are: to identify and characterize time-dependent degradation (aging) of nuclear plant safety-related electrical and mechanical components which could lead to loss of safety function; to identify and recommend methods for detecting and trending aging effects prior to loss of safety function so that timely maintenance can be implemented; and to recommend maintenance practices for mitigating the effects of aging. Research activities include prioritization of system and component aging in nuclear plants, characterization of aging degradation of specific components including identification of functional indicators useful for trending degradation, and testing of practical methods and devices for measuring the functional indicators. Aging assessments have been completed on electric motors, snubbers, motor-operated valves, and check valves. Testing of trending methods and devices for motor-operated valves and check valves is in progress

Decommissioning and back working of Greifswald nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rittscher, D.; Leushacke, D.F.; Meyer, R.

1998-01-01

At Nuclear Power Plant Greifswald, the Energiewerke Nord are carrying out the presently world's largest decommissioning project. This requires the gathering up of experience from the operation of the nuclear power plants at Greifswald, the decommissioning of other nuclear power plants, waste management, project management and licensing procedures for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. That confirmed that the back working of nuclear plants is not a technical problem but a challenge for project management and logistics. It shows that the dismantling and disposal of nuclear plants is an ordinary process in our economic life. (orig.) [de

Increasing reliability of nuclear energy equipment and at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochrana, L.

1997-01-01

The Institute of Nuclear Energy at the Technical University in Brno cooperates with nuclear power plants in increasing their reliability. The teaching programme is briefly described. The scientific research programme of the Department of Heat and Nuclear Power Energy Equipment in the field of reliability is based on a complex systematic concept securing a high level of reliability. In 1996 the Department prepared a study dealing with the evaluation of the maintenance system in a nuclear power plant. The proposed techniques make it possible to evaluate the reliability and maintenance characteristics of any individual component in a nuclear power plant, and to monitor, record and evaluate data at any given time intervals. (M.D.)

TVA's nuclear power plant experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, W.F.

1979-01-01

This paper reviews TVA's nuclear power plant design and construction experience in terms of schedule and capital costs. The completed plant in commercial operation at Browns Ferry and six additional plants currently under construction represent the nation's largest single commitment to nuclear power and an ultimate investment of $12 billion by 1986. The presentation is made in three separate phases. Phase one will recapitulate the status of the nuclear power industry in 1966 and set forth the assumptions used for estimating capital costs and projecting project schedules for the first TVA units. Phase two describes what happened to the program in the hectic early 1979's in terms of expansion of scope (particularly for safety features), the dramatic increase in regulatory requirements, vendor problems, stretchout of project schedules, and unprecedented inflation. Phase three addresses the assumptions used today in estimating schedules and plant costs for the next ten-year period

Academic training for nuclear power plant operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, D.W.

1982-01-01

In view of the increasing emphasis being placed upon academic training of nuclear power plant operators, it is important that institutions of higher education develop and implement programs which will meet the educational needs of operational personnel in the nuclear industry. Two primary objectives must be satisfied by these programs if they are to be effective in meeting the needs of the industry. One objective is for academic quality. The other primary objective is for programs to address the specialized needs of the nuclear plant operator and to be relevant to the operator's job. The Center for Nuclear Studies at Memphis State University, therefore, has developed a total program for these objectives, which delivers the programs, and/or appropriate parts thereto, at ten nuclear plant sites and with other plants in the planning stage. The Center for Nuclear Studies program leads to a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in nuclear industrial operations, which is offered through the university college of Memphis State University

78 FR 50458 - Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant, Vermont Yankee...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-19

... Nuclear Operations, Inc., James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station... that the NRC take action with regard to James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant, Vermont Yankee.... Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant (Fitzpatrick), Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Vermont Yankee), and...

Cyber security issues imposed on nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Do-Yeon

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Provide history of cyber attacks targeting at nuclear facilities. • Provide cyber security issues imposed on nuclear power plants. • Provide possible countermeasures for protecting nuclear power plants. - Abstract: With the introduction of new technology based on the increasing digitalization of control systems, the potential of cyber attacks has escalated into a serious threat for nuclear facilities, resulting in the advent of the Stuxnet. In this regard, the nuclear industry needs to consider several cyber security issues imposed on nuclear power plants, including regulatory guidelines and standards for cyber security, the possibility of Stuxnet-inherited malware attacks in the future, and countermeasures for protecting nuclear power plants against possible cyber attacks

Nuclear power plant insurance - experience and loss statistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldmann, J.; Dangelmaier, P.

1982-01-01

Nuclear power plants are treated separately when concluding insurance contracts. National insurance pools have been established in industrial countries, co-operating on an international basis, for insuring a nuclear power plant. In combined property insurance, the nuclear risk is combined with the fire risk. In addition, there are the engineering insurances. Of these, the one of significance for nuclear power plants is the machinery insurance, which can be covered on the free insurance market. Nuclear power plants have had fewer instances of damage than other, conventional installations. (orig.) [de

Energy forum 2005: Nuclear power - in competition with sustainable energy supply in Europe. Lectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The forum of energy for future organized on 29st September 2005 the annual Energy Forum at Berlin. The Energy Forum 2005 dealt with nuclear power in competition with sustainable energy supply in Europe and didn't only give their members the possibility of a discussion on this actual theme. Furtheron demanding aims on CO2-reduction, increased raw material- and energy prices as the construction of a new Finnish nuclear power plant have countries moved to evaluate again the future-oriented role of nuclear power. (orig./GL)

Human factors in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hennig, J.; Bohr, E.

1976-04-01

This annotated bibliography is a first attempt to give a survey of the kind of literature which is relevant for the ergonomic working conditions in nuclear power plants. Such a survey seems to be useful in view of the fact that the 'factor human being' comes recently more and more to the fore in nuclear power plants. In this context, the necessity is often pointed out to systematically include our knowledge of the performance capacity and limits of human beings when designing the working conditions for the personnel of nuclear power plants. For this reason, the bibliography is so much intended for the ergonomics experts as for the experts of nuclear engineering. (orig./LN) [de

Implementing nuclear non-proliferation in Finland. Regulatory control, international cooperation and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Annual report 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okko, O [ed.

2012-07-01

The regulatory control of nuclear materials (i.e. nuclear safeguards) is a prerequisite for the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Finland. Safeguards are required for Finland to comply with international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation - mainly the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This regulatory control is exercised by the Nuclear Materials Section of the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The results of STUK's nuclear safeguards inspection activities in 2011 continued to demonstrate that the Finnish licence holders take good care of their nuclear materials. There were no indications of undeclared nuclear materials or activities and the inspected materials and activities were in accordance with the licence holders' declarations.

76 FR 40403 - R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, R.E. Ginna Independent Spent...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-08

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-244; Docket No. 72-67] R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, R.E. Ginna Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Notice of... Facility Operating License No. DPR-18, for the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant (Ginna), currently held by R...

Advancements in nuclear plant maintenance programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meligi, A.E.; Maras, M.C.

1993-01-01

The viability of the nuclear option as a technology choice for present and future electricity generation will be decided primarily on the basis of operating cost to achieve plant performance objectives. In a nuclear plant, performance is judged not only on availability and output rate but also on safety risk and radiation exposure. Operating, cost is essentially made up of the fuel cost and operation and maintenance (O and M) cost. Over the past decade, the industry average nuclear plant performance has improved significantly; however, this improvement was accompanied by rising O and M cost. The net result was that the nuclear option lost its long-standing economic advantage over the coal option, based on the industry average comparison, around 1987 - with the gap narrowing slightly in the last 2 years. In recent times, gas-fired plants have also become a basis for comparison. The electric generation cost comparisons of various fuel options has led to even greater scrutiny of nuclear plant performance, with the poorer performing plants facing the risk of shutdown. While effective O and M programs improve plant performance, present industry data show that there is no direct correlation between the cost of a plant O and M program and its associated performance. There is a significant number of existing tools and techniques in the O and M area that have proved to be successful and have resulted in significant benefits and payback. This paper presents an overview of the nuclear industry efforts to improve the conduct of O and M activities, describes the basic elements of an effective O and M program, and addresses some of the state-of-the-art tools and techniques to enhance maintenance work planning, training, and procedures

Emergency control centers for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1979-01-01

Guidance is provided for the development and implementation of emergency control centers for nuclear power plants, including nuclear plant control room, nuclear plant company headquarters, emergency control center, and nuclear plant alternate emergency control center. Requirements and recommendations are presented for the mission, communications, instrumentation and equipment associated with each type of control center. Decisional aids, manning requirements and resources are also given; the decision aids cover both the accident assessment and protective action areas. Both normal and alternate means of communications are considered. Off-site emergency control centers, although not covered in the strict sense by this standard, are considered in an appendix

SWOT of nuclear power plant sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbaspour, M.; Ghazi, S.

2008-01-01

SWOT Analysis is a Useful tool that can he applied to most projects or business ventures. In this article we are going to examine major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of nuclear power plants in view of sustainable development. Nuclear power plants have already attained widespread recognition for its benefits in fossil pollution abatement, near-zero green house gas emission, price stability and security of energy supply. The impressive new development is that these virtues are now a cost -free bonus, because, in long run, nuclear energy has become an inexpensive way to generate electricity. Nuclear energy's pre-eminence economically and environmentally has two implications for government policy. First, governments should ensure that nuclear licensing and safety oversight arc not only rigorous but also efficient in facilitating timely development of advanced power plants. Second, governments should be bold incentivizing the transformation to clean energy economics, recognizing that such short-term stimulus will, in the case of nuclear plants, simply accelerate desirable changes that now have their own long-term momentum. The increased competitiveness of nuclear power plant is the result of cost reductions in all aspects of nuclear economics: Construction, financing, operations, waste management and decommissioning. Among the cost-lowering factors are the evolution to standardized reactor designs, shorter construction periods, new financing techniques, more efficient generation technologies, higher rates of reactor utilization, and longer plant lifetimes. U.S World Nuclear Association report shows that total electricity costs for power plant construction and operation were calculated at two interest rates. At 10%, midrange generating costs per kilowatt-hour are nuclear at 4 cents, coal at 4.7 cents and natural gas at 5.1 cent. At a 5% interest rate, mid-range costs per KWh fall to nuclear at 2.6 cents, coal at 3.7 cents and natural gas at 4.3 cents

The Finnish "social wilderness"

Science.gov (United States)

Ville Hallikainen

2000-01-01

The cultural roots and images of the Finnish wilderness lie in its use as a source of livelihood practiced in southern and central Finland during the Middle Ages. There are statutory wilderness areas in Finland, but Finnish people consider many other areas as wilderness. It is important for management of the areas, statutory wilderness areas and the other wilderness-...

Slovak Electric, plc, Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

In this popular scientific brochure a brief description of construction scheme of Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant is presented. Electricity generation in a nuclear power plant is described. Instrumentation and control system as well as nuclear safety principles applied on the NPP are presented

Millstone nuclear power plant emergency system assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhmad Khusyairi

2011-01-01

U.S.NRC determined an obligation to build a nuclear power plant emergency response organization for both on-site and off-site. Millstone Nuclear Power Plants have 3 nuclear reactors and 2 of 3 still in commercial operation. Reactor unit 1, BWR type has been permanently shut down in 1998, while the two others, units 2 and 3 obtain the extended operating license respectively until 2035 and 2045. As a nuclear installation has the high potential radiological impact, Millstone nuclear power plant emergency response organization must establish both on-site or off-site. Emergency response organization that is formed must involve several state agencies, both state agencies and municipality. They have specific duties and functions in a state of emergency, so that protective measures can be undertaken in accordance with the community that has been planned. Meanwhile, NRC conduct their own independent assessment of nuclear power plant emergencies. (author)

Safety Assessment - Swedish Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kjellstroem, B. [Luleaa Univ. of Technology (Sweden)

1996-12-31

After the reactor accident at Three Mile Island, the Swedish nuclear power plants were equipped with filtered venting of the containment. Several types of accidents can be identified where the filtered venting has no effect on the radioactive release. The probability for such accidents is hopefully very small. It is not possible however to estimate the probability accurately. Experiences gained in the last years, which have been documented in official reports from the Nuclear Power Inspectorate indicate that the probability for core melt accidents in Swedish reactors can be significantly larger than estimated earlier. A probability up to one in a thousand operating years can not be excluded. There are so far no indications that aging of the plants has contributed to an increased accident risk. Maintaining the safety level with aging nuclear power plants can however be expected to be increasingly difficult. It is concluded that the 12 Swedish plants remain a major threat for severe radioactive pollution of the Swedish environment despite measures taken since 1980 to improve their safety. Closing of the nuclear power plants is the only possibility to eliminate this threat. It is recommended that until this is done, quantitative safety goals, same for all Swedish plants, shall be defined and strictly enforced. It is also recommended that utilities distributing misleading information about nuclear power risks shall have their operating license withdrawn. 37 refs.

Safety Assessment - Swedish Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kjellstroem, B.

1996-01-01

After the reactor accident at Three Mile Island, the Swedish nuclear power plants were equipped with filtered venting of the containment. Several types of accidents can be identified where the filtered venting has no effect on the radioactive release. The probability for such accidents is hopefully very small. It is not possible however to estimate the probability accurately. Experiences gained in the last years, which have been documented in official reports from the Nuclear Power Inspectorate indicate that the probability for core melt accidents in Swedish reactors can be significantly larger than estimated earlier. A probability up to one in a thousand operating years can not be excluded. There are so far no indications that aging of the plants has contributed to an increased accident risk. Maintaining the safety level with aging nuclear power plants can however be expected to be increasingly difficult. It is concluded that the 12 Swedish plants remain a major threat for severe radioactive pollution of the Swedish environment despite measures taken since 1980 to improve their safety. Closing of the nuclear power plants is the only possibility to eliminate this threat. It is recommended that until this is done, quantitative safety goals, same for all Swedish plants, shall be defined and strictly enforced. It is also recommended that utilities distributing misleading information about nuclear power risks shall have their operating license withdrawn. 37 refs

Finnish bioenergy research programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asplund, D. [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

1996-12-31

Finland is a leading country in the use of biofuels and has excellent opportunities to increase the use of biofuels by up to 25-30 %. The Finnish Government has set an objective for the promotion of bioenergy. The aim is to increase the use of bioenergy by about 25 % from the present level by 2005, and the increment corresponds to 1.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) per year. The R and D work has been considered as an important factor to achieve this ambitious goal. Energy research was organised into a series of research programmes in 1988 in accordance with the proposal of Finnish Energy Research Committee. The object of the research programmes is to enhance research activities and to bundle individual projects together into larger research packages. The common target of the Finnish energy research programmes is to proceed from basic and applied research to product development and pilot operation, and after that to the first commercial applications, e.g. demonstrations. As the organisation of energy research to programmes has led to good results, the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry decided to go on with this practice by launching new six-year programmes in 1993-1998. One of these programmes is the Bioenergy Research Programme and the co-ordination of this programme is carried out by VTT Energy. Besides VTT Energy the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Work Efficiency Institute, Metsaeteho and University of Joensuu are participating in the programme 7 refs.

Finnish bioenergy research programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asplund, D [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

1997-12-31

Finland is a leading country in the use of biofuels and has excellent opportunities to increase the use of biofuels by up to 25-30 %. The Finnish Government has set an objective for the promotion of bioenergy. The aim is to increase the use of bioenergy by about 25 % from the present level by 2005, and the increment corresponds to 1.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) per year. The R and D work has been considered as an important factor to achieve this ambitious goal. Energy research was organised into a series of research programmes in 1988 in accordance with the proposal of Finnish Energy Research Committee. The object of the research programmes is to enhance research activities and to bundle individual projects together into larger research packages. The common target of the Finnish energy research programmes is to proceed from basic and applied research to product development and pilot operation, and after that to the first commercial applications, e.g. demonstrations. As the organisation of energy research to programmes has led to good results, the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry decided to go on with this practice by launching new six-year programmes in 1993-1998. One of these programmes is the Bioenergy Research Programme and the co-ordination of this programme is carried out by VTT Energy. Besides VTT Energy the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Work Efficiency Institute, Metsaeteho and University of Joensuu are participating in the programme 7 refs.

Preliminary regulatory assessment of nuclear power plants vulnerabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostadinov, V.; Petelin, S.

2004-01-01

Preliminary attempts to develop models for nuclear regulatory vulnerability assessment of nuclear power plants are presented. Development of the philosophy and computer tools could be new and important insight for management of nuclear operators and nuclear regulatory bodies who face difficult questions about how to assess the vulnerability of nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities to external and internal threats. In the situation where different and hidden threat sources are dispersed throughout the world, the assessment of security and safe operation of nuclear power plants is very important. Capability to evaluate plant vulnerability to different kinds of threats, like human and natural occurrences and terrorist attacks and preparation of emergency response plans and estimation of costs are of vital importance for assurance of national security. On the basis of such vital insights, nuclear operators and nuclear regulatory bodies could plan and optimise changes in oversight procedures, organisations, equipment, hardware and software to reduce risks taking into account security and safety of nuclear power plants operation, budget, manpower, and other limitations. Initial qualitative estimations of adapted assessments for nuclear applications are shortly presented. (author)

Big data in Finnish financial services

OpenAIRE

Laurila, M. (Mikko)

2017-01-01

Abstract This thesis aims to explore the concept of big data, and create understanding of big data maturity in the Finnish financial services industry. The research questions of this thesis are “What kind of big data solutions are being implemented in the Finnish financial services sector?” and “Which factors impede faster implementation of big data solutions in the Finnish financial services sector?”. ...

Methods for sharing tacit nuclear knowledge and expertise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyttinen, L.; Rintala, N.

2004-01-01

The ageing of workforce, the lack of training programs and recruits, and the decline in R and D activities have evoked discussion about the need to preserve nuclear knowledge by transferring it from retiring experts to new recruits. Studies conducted in the nuclear and power industries have found that challenges lie especially in transferring tacit knowledge, which the experts have accumulated through long careers and various experiences in professional settings. This paper examines methods with which tacit knowledge is transferred at the Finnish nuclear power plants. The aim of this paper is to provide empirical knowledge of the current state of practices for sharing tacit knowledge that could be utilized at NPPs more generally. (author)

Methods for sharing tacit nuclear knowledge and expertise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rintala, N.; Hyttinen, L.

2006-01-01

The ageing of workforce, the lack of training programmes and recruitments, and the decline in R and D activities have prompted discussions about the need to preserve nuclear knowledge by transferring it from retiring experts to new recruits. Studies conducted in the nuclear and power industries have found that challenges lie especially in transferring tacit knowledge, which the experts have accumulated over the course of long careers and various experiences in professional settings. This paper examines methods by which tacit knowledge is transferred at the Finnish nuclear power plants. The aim of this paper is to provide empirical knowledge of the current state of practices for sharing tacit knowledge that could be utilised at NPPs more generally. (author)

Loviisa nuclear power plant analyzer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porkholm, K.; Nurmilaukas, P.; Tiihonen, O.; Haenninen, M.; Puska, E.

1992-12-01

The APROS Simulation Environment has been developed since 1986 by Imatran Voima Oy (IVO) and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). It provides tools, solution algorithms and process components for use in different simulation systems for design, analysis and training purposes. One of its main nuclear applications is the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant Analyzer (LPA). The Loviisa Plant Analyzer includes all the important plant components both in the primary and in the secondary circuits. In addition, all the main control systems, the protection system and the high voltage electrical systems are included. (orig.)

I and C upgrading at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamiri, A.

2003-01-01

Continuing the operation of existing nuclear power plants will help reduce the number of new base-load nuclear and fossil power plants that need to be built. Old nuclear power plants in Canada are operating with analog instrumentation and control systems. For a number of reasons, such as changes and improvements in the applicable standards and design, maintenance problems due to the lack of spares, technical obsolescence, the need to increase power production, availability, reliability and safety, and in order to reduce operation and maintenance costs, instrumentation and control upgrading at nuclear power plants in a cost effective manner should be considered the greatest priority. Failures of instrumentation and control (I and C) due to aging and obsolescence issues may have an immediate negative impact on plant reliability and availability and also affect long-term plant performance and safety. In today's competitive marketplace, power plants are under pressure to cut spending on maintenance while reducing the risk of equipment failure that could cause unplanned outage. To improve plant safety and availability, old nuclear power plants will require investment in new technologies that can improve the performance and reduce the costs of generation by addressing the long term reliability of systems by up-grading to modem digital instrumentation and control and optimization opportunities. Boiler drum level control at nuclear power plants is critical for both plant protection and equipment safety and applies equality to high and low levels of water within the boiler drum. Plant outage studies at Pickering Nuclear have identified boiler drum level control and feed water control systems as major contributors to plant unavailability. Ways to improve transient and steady state response, upgrading existing poor analog control systems for boiler level and feed-water control systems at Pickering Nuclear, with enhanced and robust controller will be discussed in this paper

Seismic reevaluation of existing nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hennart, J.C.

1978-01-01

The codes and regulations governing Nuclear Power Plant seismic analysis are continuously becoming more stringent. In addition, design ground accelerations of existing plants must sometimes be increased as a result of discovery of faulting zones or recording of recent earthquakes near the plant location after plant design. These new factors can result in augmented seismic design criteria. Seismic reanalysius of the existing Nuclear Power Plant structures and equipments is necessary to prevent the consequences of newly postulated accidents that could cause undue risk to the health or safety of the public. This paper reviews the developments of seismic analysis as applied to Nuclear Power Plants and the methods used by Westinghouse to requalify existing plants to the most recent safety requirements. (author)

Robotics for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraiwa, Takanori; Watanabe, Atsuo; Miyasawa, Tatsuo

1984-01-01

Demand for robots in nuclear power plants is increasing of late in order to reduce workers' exposure to radiations. Especially, owing to the progress of microelectronics and robotics, earnest desire is growing for the advent of intellecturized robots that perform indeterminate and complicated security work. Herein represented are the robots recently developed for nuclear power plants and the review of the present status of robotics. (author)

Robotics for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiraiwa, Takanori; Watanabe, Atsuo; Miyasawa, Tatsuo

1984-10-01

Demand for robots in nuclear power plants is increasing of late in order to reduce workers' exposure to radiations. Especially, owing to the progress of microelectronics and robotics, earnest desire is growing for the advent of intellecturized robots that perform indeterminate and complicated security work. Herein represented are the robots recently developed for nuclear power plants and the review of the present status of robotics.

Nuclear Power Plant Technician

Science.gov (United States)

Randall, George A.

1975-01-01

The author recognizes a body of basic knowledge in nuclear power plant technoogy that can be taught in school programs, and lists the various courses, aiming to fill the anticipated need for nuclear-trained manpower--persons holding an associate degree in engineering technology. (Author/BP)

Plant life extensions for German nuclear power plants? Controversial discussion profit taking of nuclear power plant operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthes, Felix C.

2009-10-01

The discussion on the plant life extensions for German nuclear power plants beyond the residual quantity of electricity particularly focus on three aspects: Effects for the emission of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas; Development of the electricity price for which a reduction or attenuation is postulated due to a plant life extension; Skimming of additional profits at operating companies and their use in the safeguarding of the future (development of renewable energies, support of energy efficiency, promotion of the research, consolidation of the public budget, and so on). Under this aspect, the author of the contribution under consideration reports on the profit taking of nuclear power plant operators. The presented analysis considers three aspects: (a) Specification of the quantity structures for the investigated model of plant life extension; (b) The decisive parameter is the revenue situation and thus the price development for electricity at wholesale markets; (c) Determination and evaluation of the course in time of the profit taking.

Some viewpoints on reference biospheres in Finnish performance assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasilainen, K.; Kattilakoski, E.; Suolanen, V.; Vieno, T.; Vuori, S.

2002-01-01

Viewpoints are presented concerning biosphere studies in performance assessments of nuclear waste disposal. The points are based on experiences from several Finnish performance assessments. The latest performance assessment for spent fuel disposal, TILA-99, was considered in the Decision in Principle process for the site selection of the repository. The points given are also based on experiences from participation in international projects dealing with biosphere modelling, for instance BIOMOVS and BIOMASS. (author)

Maintenance planning for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattu, R.K.; Cooper, S.E.; Lauderdale, J.R.

2004-01-01

Maintenance planning for nuclear power plants is similar to that in other industrial plants but it is heavily influenced by regulatory rules, with consequent costs of compliance. Steps by the nuclear industry and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to address that problem include development of guidelines for maintenance of risk-critical equipment, using PRA-based techniques to select a set of equipment that requires maintenance and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approaches for determining what maintenance is required. The result of the process is a program designed to ensure effective maintenance of the equipment most critical to plant safety. (author)

Safety assessment principles for nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The present Safety Assessment Principles result from the revision of those which were drawn up following a recommendation arising from the Sizewell-B enquiry. The principles presented here relate only to nuclear safety; there is a section on risks from normal operation and accident conditions and the standards against which those risks are assessed. A major part of the document deals with the principles that cover the design of nuclear plants. The revised Safety assessment principles are aimed primarily at the safety assessment of new nuclear plants but they will also be used in assessing existing plants. (UK)

Qualification of nuclear power plant operations personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

With the ultimate aim of reducing the possibility of human error in nuclear power plant operations, the Guidebook discusses the organizational aspects, the staffing requirements, the educational systems and qualifications, the competence requirements, the ways to establish, preserve and verify competence, the specific aspects of personnel management and training for nuclear power plant operations, and finally the particular situations and difficulties to be overcome by utilities starting their first nuclear power plant. An important aspect presented in the Guidebook is the experience in training and qualification of nuclear power plant personnel in various countries: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States of America

Modifications to nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This Safety Guide was prepared under the IAEA's programme for safety standards for nuclear power plants. It supplements Section 7 of the Safety Requirements publication on Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation, which establishes the safety requirements for the modification of nuclear power plants. Reasons for carrying out modifications to nuclear power plants may include: (1) maintaining or strengthening existing safety provisions and thus maintaining consistency with or improving on the current design. (2) recovering from plant faults. (3) improving the thermal performance or increasing the power rating of the plant. (4) increasing the maintainability of the plant, reducing the radiation exposure of personnel or reducing the costs of plant maintenance. And (5) extending the design life of the plant. Most modifications, made on the basis of operating experience, are intended to improve on the design or to improve operational performance and flexibility. Some are rendered necessary by new regulatory requirements, ageing of the plant or obsolescence of equipment. However, the benefits of regularly updating the plant design can be jeopardized if modifications are not kept under rigorous control throughout the lifetime of the plant. The need to reduce costs and improve efficiency, in combination with changes to the structure of the electricity generation sector of the economy in many countries, has led many companies to make changes in the structure of the operating organization for nuclear power plants. Whatever the reason for such organizational changes, consideration should be given to the effects of those changes with the aim of ensuring that they would have no impacts that would compromise the safety of the plant. The objective of this Safety Guide is to provide guidance and recommendations on controlling activities relating to modifications at nuclear power plants in order to reduce risk and to ensure that the configuration of the plant is at all times under

Modifications to nuclear power plants. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This Safety Guide was prepared under the IAEA's programme for safety standards for nuclear power plants. It supplements Section 7 of the Safety Requirements publication on Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation, which establishes the safety requirements for the modification of nuclear power plants. Reasons for carrying out modifications to nuclear power plants may include: (1) maintaining or strengthening existing safety provisions and thus maintaining consistency with or improving on the current design. (2) recovering from plant faults. (3) improving the thermal performance or increasing the power rating of the plant. (4) increasing the maintainability of the plant, reducing the radiation exposure of personnel or reducing the costs of plant maintenance. And (5) extending the design life of the plant. Most modifications, made on the basis of operating experience, are intended to improve on the design or to improve operational performance and flexibility. Some are rendered necessary by new regulatory requirements, ageing of the plant or obsolescence of equipment. However, the benefits of regularly updating the plant design can be jeopardized if modifications are not kept under rigorous control throughout the lifetime of the plant. The need to reduce costs and improve efficiency, in combination with changes to the structure of the electricity generation sector of the economy in many countries, has led many companies to make changes in the structure of the operating organization for nuclear power plants. Whatever the reason for such organizational changes, consideration should be given to the effects of those changes with the aim of ensuring that they would have no impacts that would compromise the safety of the plant. The objective of this Safety Guide is to provide guidance and recommendations on controlling activities relating to modifications at nuclear power plants in order to reduce risk and to ensure that the configuration of the plant is at all times under

Occupational dose control in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viktorsson, C.; Lochard, J.; Benedittini, M.; Baum, J.; Khan, T.A.

1990-01-01

Reduction in occupational exposure at nuclear power plants is desirable not only in the interest of the health and safety of plant personnel, but also because it enhances the safety and reliability of the plants. This report summarises the current trends of doses to workers at nuclear power plants and the achievements and developments regarding methods for their reduction

Economics and policies of nuclear plant life management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagata, H.

1998-01-01

NEA provides an opportunity for international exchange of information on the economics and policies of nuclear plant life management for governments and plant owners. The NEA Secretariat is finalising the 'state-of-the-art report' on the economics and policies of nuclear plant life management, including the model approach and national summaries. In order to meet power supply obligations in the early 2000, taking into account energy security, environmental impact, and the economics of nuclear power plants whose lives have been extended, initiatives at national level must be taken to monitor, co-ordinate, and support the various industry programmes of nuclear plant life management by integrated and consistent policies, public acceptance, R and D, and international co-operation. Nuclear power owners should establish an organisation and objectives to carry nuclear plant life management in the most economic and smoothest way taking into consideration internal and external influences. The organisation must identify the critical item and the ageing processes, and optimise equipment reliability and maintenance workload. (author)

German risk study 'nuclear power plants, phase B'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuser, F.W.

1989-01-01

The results of the German risk study 'Nuclear power plants, phase B' indicate that an accident in a nuclear power plant which cannot be managed by the safety systems according to design, is extremely improbable: Its probability is at about 3 to 100,000 per year and plant. Even if the safety systems fail, emergency measures can be effected in a nuclear power plant to prevent an accident. These in-plant emergency measures diminish the probability of a core meltdown to about 4 to 1,000,000 per year and plant. Hence, the accident risk is greatly reduced. The information given by the author are to smooth the emotional edge in the discussion about the safety of nuclear power plants. (orig.) [de

Nuclear power plant decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaziz Yunus

1986-01-01

A number of issues have to be taken into account before the introduction of any nuclear power plant in any country. These issues include reactor safety (site and operational), waste disposal and, lastly, the decommissioning of the reactor inself. Because of the radioactive nature of the components, nuclear power plants require a different approach to decommission compared to other plants. Until recently, issues on reactor safety and waste disposal were the main topics discussed. As for reactor decommissioning, the debates have been academic until now. Although reactors have operated for 25 years, decommissioning of retired reactors has simply not been fully planned. But the Shippingport Atomic Power Plant in Pennysylvania, the first large scale power reactor to be retired, is now being decommissioned. The work has rekindled the debate in the light of reality. Outside the United States, decommissioning is also being confronted on a new plane. (author)

Nuclear power plant outage optimisation strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-10-01

Competitive environment for electricity generation has significant implications for nuclear power plant operations, including among others the need of efficient use of resources, effective management of plant activities such as on-line maintenance and outages. Nuclear power plant outage management is a key factor for good, safe and economic nuclear power plant performance which involves many aspects: plant policy, co-ordination of available resources, nuclear safety, regulatory and technical requirements and, all activities and work hazards, before and during the outage. This technical publication aims to communicate these practices in a way they can be used by operators and utilities in the Member States of the IAEA. It intends to give guidance to outage managers, operating staff and to the local industry on planning aspects, as well as examples and strategies experienced from current plants in operation on the optimization of outage period. This report discusses the plant outage strategy and how this strategy is actually implemented. The main areas identified as most important for outage optimization by the utilities and government organizations participating in this report are: organization and management; outage planning and preparation, outage execution, safety outage review, and counter measures to avoid extension of outages and to easier the work in forced outages. This report was based on discussions and findings by the authors of the annexes and the participants of an Advisory Group Meeting on Determinant Causes for Reducing Outage Duration held in June 1999 in Vienna. The report presents the consensus of these experts regarding best common or individual good practices that can be used at nuclear power plants with the aim to optimize

Nuclear regulation. License renewal questions for nuclear plants need to be resolved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fultz, Keith O.; Kruslicky, Mary Ann; McDowell, William D. Jr.; Coleman, Robert L.

1989-04-01

A December 1986 pipe rupture at Virginia Power's Surry unit 2 nuclear power plant injured eight workers; four later died. As a result of this accident, Representative Edward J. Markey requested GAO to examine the Surry accident and assess the problems confronting aging nuclear plants. In March 1988 we reported our findings concerning the accident and a July 1987 incident at the Trojan nuclear plant in Oregon. This report addresses problems confronting aging nuclear plants by examining the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) program to develop a license renewal policy and accompanying regulations, and the initiatives underway by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the electric utility industry to extend the operating lives of these plants. Nuclear power has become second only to coal as the largest producer of electricity in the United States. The 110 nuclear plants currently in service are operated by 54 utilities, provide about 20 percent of the nation's electricity, and represent a capital investment of over $200 billion. The Atomic Energy Act authorizes NRC to issue nuclear plant operating licenses for up to 40 years and provides for license extensions beyond the initial operating period. The act does not, however, stipulate the criteria for evaluating a utility request to operate a nuclear plant longer than 40 years. The oldest operating license currently in effect will expire in the year 2000. According to NRC, about one-half of the existing operating licenses will terminate by the year 2015, and most licenses will expire by about 2030. Many utilities will have to decide in the early 1990s whether to continue operating older nuclear plants or to construct new generating capacity. A clear understanding of the terms and conditions governing the license renewal process will be a key element in deciding how to meet future electricity demand. Although NRC has developed 3 possible license renewal policy options and identified 15 areas of regulatory uncertainty that

Plant designer's view of the operator's role in nuclear plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corcoran, W.R.; Church, J.F.; Cross, M.T.; Porter, N.J.

1981-01-01

The nuclear plant operator's role supports the design assumptions and equipment with four functional tasks. He must set up th plant for predictable response to disturbances, operate the plant so as to minimize the likelihood and severity of event initiators, assist in accomplishing the safety functions, and feed back operating experiences to reinforce or redefine the safety analyses' assumptions. The latter role enhances the operator effectiveness in the former three roles. The Safety Level Concept offers a different perspective that enables the operator to view his roles in nuclear plant safety. This paper outlines the operator's role in nuclear safety and classifies his tasks using the Safety Level Concept

Plant life extensions for German nuclear power plants? Controversial discussion on potential electricity price effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthes, Felix C.; Hermann, Hauke

2009-06-01

The discussions on electricity price effects in case of the plant life extension of German nuclear power plants covers the following topics: (1) Introduction and methodology. (2) Electricity generation in nuclear power plants and electricity price based on an empirical view: electricity generation in nuclear power plants and final consumption price for households and industry in the European Union; electricity generation in nuclear power plants and electricity wholesale price in case of low availability of nuclear power plants in Germany; comparison of electricity wholesale prices in Germany and France. (3) Model considerations in relation to electricity prices and nuclear phase-out. (4) Concluding considerations.

Robotics for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Ryoichi; Kimura, Motohiko; Abe, Akira

1993-01-01

A continuing need exists for automatic or remote-controlled machines or robots which can perform inspection and maintenance tasks in nuclear power plants. Toshiba has developed several types of monofunctional and multi- functional robots for such purposes over the past 20 years, some of which have already been used in actual plants. This paper describes new multifunctional robots for inspection and maintenance. An inspection robot has been applied in an actual plant for two years for performance testing. Maintenance robots for grinding tasks have also been developed, which can be easily teleoperated by the operator using automatic control. These new robots are expected to be applied to actual inspection and maintenance work in nuclear power plants. (author)

Radiation risk in Finland due to the nuclear power plant at Sosnovyj Bor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilvonen, M.; Rossi, J.; Salonoja, M.

1994-06-01

The present study is an application of the long range transport and dose model TRADOS developed jointly by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Technical Research Centre of Finland. The aim of the study is to assess the radiation risk in Finland due to the nuclear power plant at Sosnovyj Bor near St. Petersburg in Russia. Probabilities of reaching different parts of the country, transport time and time spent over Finland by the trajectories are presented. Also breadth of the radioactive cloud and incidence of rain are estimated. The calculated radiation doses are based on one single hypothetical release, in which all noble gases are released, together with 10 % of easily vaporizing elements and 1 % of others. All results are based on the assumption that the probability of the release is 100 %. The dose pathways calculated are cloud gamma, fallout gamma, inhalation, and ingestion of milk, meat, green vegetables, grain and roots. External dose rates have been calculated. The necessity of countermeasures and the ratio of the avertable dose to the costs are also assessed. (13 refs., 156 figs., 12 tabs.)

Affective imagery and acceptance of replacing nuclear power plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Carmen; Visschers, Vivianne; Siegrist, Michael

2012-03-01

This study examined the relationship between the content of spontaneous associations with nuclear power plants and the acceptance of using new-generation nuclear power plants to replace old ones. The study also considered gender as a variable. A representative sample of the German- and French-speaking population of Switzerland (N= 1,221) was used. Log-linear models revealed significant two-way interactions between the association content and acceptance, association content and gender, and gender and acceptance. Correspondence analysis revealed that participants who were opposed to nuclear power plants mainly associated nuclear power plants with risk, negative feelings, accidents, radioactivity, waste disposal, military use, and negative consequences for health and environment; whereas participants favoring nuclear power plants mainly associated them with energy, appearance descriptions of nuclear power plants, and necessity. Thus, individuals opposing nuclear power plants had both more concrete and more diverse associations with them than people who were in favor of nuclear power plants. In addition, participants who were undecided often mentioned similar associations to those participants who were in favor. Males more often expressed associations with energy, waste disposal, and negative health effects. Females more often made associations with appearance descriptions, negative feelings, and negative environmental effects. The results further suggest that acceptance of replacing nuclear power plants was higher in the German-speaking part of the country, where all of the Swiss nuclear power plants are physically located. Practical implications for risk communication are discussed. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Human factors in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swain, A.D.

1981-01-01

This report describes some of the human factors problems in nuclear power plants and the technology that can be employed to reduce those problems. Many of the changes to improve the human factors in existing plants are inexpensive, and the expected gain in human reliability is substantial. The human factors technology is well-established and there are practitioners in most countries that have nuclear power plants. (orig.) [de

ALARA at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baum, J.W.

1991-01-01

Implementation of the ALARA principle at nuclear power plants presents a continuing challenge for health physicists at utility corporate and plant levels, for plant designers, and for regulatory agencies. The relatively large collective doses at some plants are being addressed through a variety of dose reduction techniques. Initiatives by the ICRP, NCRP, NRC, INPO, EPRI, and BNL ALARA Center have all contributed to a heightened interest and emphasis on dose reduction. The NCRP has formed Scientific Committee 46-9 which is developing a report on ALARA at Nuclear Power Plants. It is planned that this report will include material on historical aspects, management, valuation of dose reduction ($/person-Sv), quantitative and qualitative aspects of optimization, design, operational considerations, and training. The status of this work is summarized in this report

Finnish EPR Olkiluoto 3. The world's first third-generation reactor now under construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The EPR was developed by Framatome and Siemens KWU (the nuclear division of Siemens), whose nuclear activities were combined in January 2001 to form Framatome ANP, now AREVA NP. The French electricity utility EDF (Electricite de France), together with the major German utilities, played an active role in the project. The safety authorities of the two countries joined forces to bring their respective safety standards into line and draw up joint design rules for the new reactor. On December 18, 2003, the consortium formed by AREVA and Siemens - and led by AREVA - signed a contract with TVO for the turnkey construction of the EPR. The overall Olkiluoto 3 project cost has been estimated by TVO at around euros 3 Billion. TVO is responsible for the overall project management and licensing process with the Finnish Safety Authority STUK. In the pre-qualification phase, STUK concluded that the EPR can meet the Finnish licensing requirements. All specific comments will be taken into account for the realization of the project. In January 2005, STUK emphasized in its safety assessment that the evolutionary EPR design compared to predecessor product lines has been further enhanced by AREVA. This paper presents first, The Finnish energy situation (Electricity consumption and supply, Finland's Kyoto CO 2 cutback, Competitiveness of nuclear power), and then the EPR in Olkiluoto (General schedule of responsibilities, Important milestones of the project). Finally, the EPR third-generation and advanced reactor is presented with its position in the international competition (Targeted design objectives, Main characteristics, competitiveness, safety, Additional measures to prevent the occurrence of events likely to damage the core, Increased protection against the consequences of core melt)

A common high standard for nuclear power plant exports: overview and analysis of the Nuclear Power Plant Exporters' Principles of Conduct

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkovich, George; Radzinsky, Brian

2012-01-01

At this time, there is no overarching global framework to regulate the development of the nuclear power industry. Laws concerning the export of nuclear technology vary across jurisdictions, and politically-binding arrangements such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) help ensure that weapons-usable or dual-use technologies are not exported, but no single international regime or agreement manages the gamut of potential risks that may arise from the export of civilian nuclear power plants. Accordingly in 2008, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace convened internationally-recognised experts in nuclear energy to begin a dialogue with nuclear power plant vendors about defining common criteria for the socially responsible export of nuclear power plants. The goal was to articulate a comprehensive set of principles and best practices that would raise the overall standard of practice for exports of nuclear power plants while enjoying widespread support and adherence. The outcome of this process is the Nuclear Power Plant Exporters' Principles of Conduct - an export-oriented code of conduct for nuclear power plant vendors. The Principles of Conduct help ensure that the participating companies will proceed with the sale of a new nuclear power plant only after a careful assessment of the legal, political, and technical contexts surrounding potential customers. It comprises six 'principles' that each address a major area of concern involved in the export of a nuclear power plant: safety, physical security, environmental protection and spent fuel management, systems of compensation for nuclear damage, non-proliferation and safeguards, and business ethics. The Principles of Conduct entail vendor responsibilities to apply specific standards or engage in certain practices before signing contracts and during the marketing and construction phases of a nuclear power plant export project. Conformity with the Principles of Conduct is voluntary and not-legally binding, but the

Nuclear power. Europe report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2002-01-01

Last year, 2001, nuclear power plants were available for energy supply, respectively, in 18 countries all over Europe. In 8 of the 15 member countries of the European Union nuclear power plants have been in operation. In 7 of the 13 EU Candidate Countries nuclear energy was used for power production. A total of 216 plants with an aggregate net capacity of 171 802 MWe and an aggregate gross capacity of 181 212 MWe were in operation. One unit, i.e. Volgodonsk-1 in Russia went critical for the first time and started test operation after having been connected to the grid. Volgodonsk-1 adds about 1 000 MWe (gross) nd 953 MWe (net) to the electricity production capacity. The operator of the Muehlheim-Kaerlich NPP field an application to decommission and dismantle the plant; this plant was only 13 months in operation and has been shut down since 1988 for legal reasons. Last year, 10 plants were under construction in Romania (1), Russia (4), Slovakia (2), the Czech Republic (1) and the Ukraine (2), that is only in East European Countries. In eight countries of the European Union 143 nuclear power plants have been operated with an aggregate gross capacity of 128 758 MWe and an aggregate net capacity of 122 601 MWe. Net electricity production in 2001 in the EU amounts to approx. 880.3 TWh gross, which means a share of 33,1 per cent of the total production in the whole EU. Shares of nuclear power differ widely among the operator countries. The reach 75.6% in France, 74.2% in Lithuania, 58.2% in Belgium, 53.2% in the Slovak Republic, and 47.4% in the Ukraine. Nuclear power also provides a noticeable share in the electricity supply of countries, which operate no own nuclear power plants, e.g. Italy, Portugal, and Austria. On May 24th, 2002 the Finnish Parliament voted for the decision in principle to build a fifth nuclear power plant in the country. This launches the next stage in the nuclear power plant project. The electric output of the plant unit will be 1000-1600 MW

Nuclear plant license renewal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gazda, P.A.; Bhatt, P.C.

1991-01-01

During the next 10 years, nuclear plant license renewal is expected to become a significant issue. Recent Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) studies have shown license renewal to be technically and economically feasible. Filing an application for license renewal with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) entails verifying that the systems, structures, and components essential for safety will continue to perform their safety functions throughout the license renewal period. This paper discusses the current proposed requirements for this verification and the current industry knowledge regarding age-related degradation of structures. Elements of a license renewal program incorporating NRC requirements and industry knowledge including a schedule are presented. Degradation mechanisms for structural components, their significance to nuclear plant structures, and industry-suggested age-related degradation management options are also reviewed

Implementing nuclear non-proliferation in Finland. Regulatory control, international cooperation and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Annual report 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okko, O. (ed.)

2012-07-01

The regulatory control of nuclear materials (i.e. nuclear safeguards) is a prerequisite for the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Finland. Safeguards are required for Finland to comply with international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation - mainly the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This regulatory control is exercised by the Nuclear Materials Section of the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The results of STUK's nuclear safeguards inspection activities in 2011 continued to demonstrate that the Finnish licence holders take good care of their nuclear materials. There were no indications of undeclared nuclear materials or activities and the inspected materials and activities were in accordance with the licence holders' declarations.

Nuclear power plants 1995 - a world survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

The atw Statistics Report compiled by atw lists 428 nuclear power plants with 363 397 gross MWe in operation in 30 countries in late 1995. Another 62 units with 55 180 gross MWe were under construction in 18 countries. This adds up to a total of 490 units with an aggregate 418 577 MWe. In the course of 1995 four units in four countries started commercial operation. In the survey of electricity generation in 1995 for which no information was made available from China and Kasachstan, a total of 417 nuclear power plants were covered. In the year under review they generated an aggregate 2 282 614 GWH, which is 3.4% more than in the previous year. The highest nuclear generation again was recorded in the USA with 705 771 GWh, followed by France with 377 021 GWh. The Grohnde power station in Germany attained the maximum annual production figure of 11 359 GWh. The survey includes nine tables indicating the generating performance of each nuclear power plant, the development of electricity generation in nuclear plants, and status of nuclear power plants at the end of 1995 arranged by countries, types of reactors, and reactor manufacturers. (orig.) [de

Low-temperature nuclear heat applications: Nuclear power plants for district heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-08-01

The IAEA reflected the needs of its Member States for the exchange of information in the field of nuclear heat application already in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, some Member States showed their interest in the use of heat from electricity producing nuclear power plants and in the development of nuclear heating plants. Accordingly, a technical committee meeting with a workshop was organized in 1983 to review the status of nuclear heat application which confirmed both the progress made in this field and the renewed interest of Member States in an active exchange of information about this subject. In 1985 an Advisory Group summarized the Potential of Low-Temperature Nuclear Heat Application; the relevant Technical Document reviewing the situation in the IAEA's Member States was issued in 1986 (IAEA-TECDOC-397). Programme plans were made for 1986-88 and the IAEA was asked to promote the exchange of information, with specific emphasis on the design criteria, operating experience, safety requirements and specifications for heat-only reactors, co-generation plants and power plants adapted for heat application. Because of a growing interest of the IAEA's Member States about nuclear heat employment in the district heating domaine, an Advisory Group meeting was organized by the IAEA on ''Low-Temperature Nuclear Heat Application: Nuclear Power Plants for District Heating'' in Prague, Czechoslovakia in June 1986. The information gained up to 1986 and discussed during this meeting is embodied in the present Technical Document. 22 figs, 11 tabs