ABSTRACT
As most of the current generation of nuclear power plants have passed their mid-life, increased monitoring of their health is critical for their safe operation. This is especially true now that license renewal of nuclear power plants has accelerated, allowing some plants to operate up to 60 years or more. Furthermore, many utilities are maximizing their power output through upgrading their projects and retrots. This puts additional demand and more stress on the plant equipment such as the instrumentation and control (I&C) systems and the reactor internal components, making them more vulnerable to the effects of aging, degradation, and failure. In the meantime, the nuclear power industry is working to reduce generation costs by adopting condition-based maintenance strategies and automation of testing activities.
