Develop "As-Built" Models
Laser scanning inside reactor containments is not new in the nuclear power industry, but neither is it in widespread use. (See "Laser Scanning Produces 3-D Plant Database" in the November 2008 issue of POWER for details of how laser scanning plant equipment is used to produce an "as built" 3-D database.) Laser scanning the equipment space is the first step in preparing accurate as-built 3-D models of existing equipment.
The accuracy is the direct result of scanning and photogrammetry. At Waterford 3, this work was done by AREVA NP, Lynchburg, Va., an engineering services unit of French nuclear power company AREVA. "Other utility companies have embraced laser scanning on a few projects, but none are as focused as we are on using it for risk mitigation," Mahoney noted.
"There is great value for power utilities in using DELMIA and PLM tools in general to build an up-to-date, dimensionally exact model of everything inside the containment," said Chris Staubus, general manager, utility services, at BCP Engineers & Consultants, which is a DELMIA and DS business partner for nuclear power. "When we scanned the containment and then modeled and simulated the removal of the RCP motor, we found conflicts between equipment and some structures," he added. The DELMIA simulations and the CATIA model of the containment "showed Waterford 3 management the unforeseen and pointed to ways to plan for these conditions well in advance of the work being performed."
"The arrival of 3-D PLM is very new to the commercial nuclear industry," said Darrel Turner, BCP project manager for Waterford 3. "Much of our ability at BCP to introduce PLM, scanning, and simulation is due to the fact that DS [Dassault Systèmes] offers very effective technologies."
Mahoney cited three examples of how this project will reduce project risk by focusing on ways to make sure all nuclear plant operations stay on schedule and within budget:
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Evaluating several options for plants that combine systems for radiation worker protection with scenario planning for outages and physical security. These simulations are being assessed by Entergy’s New Nuclear Work Group, along with new systems for 3-D document management and configuration management for future plants. "Industrial safety and radiological safety are also enhanced by laser scanning data, and using 3-D PLM allows for predetermination of hazards in workspaces," he pointed out. "These simulations help us identify any constraints that might hinder worker performance."
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Developing operational and engineering databases with 3-D PLM to track and manage all changes, starting with Waterford 3. Modifications of the plant as it was designed, as it was built, and as it has been maintained are being documented with plant lifecycle management. File-based data management systems will be phased out as Dassault Systèmes’ ENOVIA is implemented.
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Taking longer-term risk mitigation company-wide. "It is not far-fetched to link the use of this 3-D technology to a plant’s asset management program and long-range planning," Mahoney noted. "This would provide Entergy the opportunity to continue to effectively shrink outage schedules through critical path scenario optimization. This approach has not yet been widely accepted in the nuclear power industry, but Entergy is embracing it. We expect it to re-baseline the expected costs of modernization projects."
Physical Models Are So 1990s
Mahoney predicted that the significantly higher cost of custom-built, full-size mockups — hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece — "will be a major factor driving the use of 3-D virtualization." He also pointed out that mockups do not readily accommodate engineering changes and plant modifications, nor are they easily modified for reuse in other facilities.
"A sheet metal mockup of the motor was made and moved in and out of containment," said Gerald Butts, Waterford 3 project manager when the RCP project started. "But the necessary comfort level of really being able to move the motor was not reached. The 3-D modeling and simulation gave us an extra [reassurance] factor we had to have to start the project."
Many thanks go to John M. Mahoney PMP (jmahone@entergy.com) innovations leader, Entergy Nuclear Operations; Chris Staubus (cls@bcpengineers.com), general manager of utility services, BCP Engineers & Consultants; Al Casas (al.casas@3ds.com), senior consultant, and William Butcher (william.butcher@3ds.com), director, Worldwide Marketing and Communications, Dassault Systèmes; and René Pronovost (rene.pronovost@3ds.com), engineering project manager, Dassault Systèmes Industry Services for their kind assistance in the preparation of this article.
—Jack Thornton (jackt@mindfeed.com) is a principal in the firm of Mindfeed Marcom.
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