Vol. 6 No. 3 (2015): IJPHM Special Issue on Nuclear Energy PHM

The International Journal of Prognostics and Health Management (IJPHM) is the premier online open access journal related to multidisciplinary research on Prognostics, Diagnostics, and System Health Management. This special issue is focused on advances in research in condition monitoring applications to nuclear energy.

The first commercial nuclear power stations began operation in the 1950s. Since that time nuclear energy generating capacity has grown to 430 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries, with 372,000 MWe of total capacity. That equates to over 13% of the world's capacity and has proven to be a reliable method for generating base-load capacity. Nuclear Power remains the single largest contributor (more than 70 percent) of non-greenhouse-gas- emitting electric power generation in the United States.

As the world's current nuclear fleet lifetimes are extended beyond 60 years, it is vital that they continue to be operated safely and efficiently. Understanding the failure modes, being able to detect precursors to failure, tracking degradation mechanisms, and predicting the remaining useful life of components and systems is vital to the continued success of nuclear power. With world electricity demand expected to double between 2000 and 2030 and currently demand growing at an annual rate of 2.4%, it is vital to keep our current fleet productive and to invest in new technologies to assure future plants are equally safe and reliable.

Published: 2015-12-01

Technical Papers

A Novel Ensemble Clustering for Operational Transients Classification with Application to a Nuclear Power Plant Turbine

Sameer Al-Dahidi, Francesco Di Maio, Piero Baraldi, Enrico Zio, Redouane Seraoui
Abstract 879 | PDF Downloads 245 | DOI https://doi.org/10.36001/ijphm.2015.v6i3.2267

Improved Visual Inspection of Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor Fuel Channels

Graeme West, Paul Murray, Stephen Marshall, Stephen McArthur
Abstract 295 | PDF Downloads 334 | DOI https://doi.org/10.36001/ijphm.2015.v6i3.2269

Prognostic and Health Management of Active Assets in Nuclear Power Plants

Vivek Agarwal, Nancy Lybeck, Binh T. Pham, Richard Rusaw, Randall Bickford
Abstract 325 | PDF Downloads 295 | DOI https://doi.org/10.36001/ijphm.2015.v6i3.2270

A Review of Prognostics and Health Management Applications in Nuclear Power Plants

Jamie Coble, Pradeep Ramuhalli, Leonard Bond, J. Wesley Hines, Belle Upadhyaya
Abstract 1129 | PDF Downloads 849 | DOI https://doi.org/10.36001/ijphm.2015.v6i3.2271

Improved Heat Exchanger Lifecycle Prognostic Methods for Enhanced Light Water Reactor Sustainability

Zachary Welz, Alan Nam, Michael Sharp, J. Wesley Hines, Belle R. Upadhyaya
Abstract 327 | PDF Downloads 276 | DOI https://doi.org/10.36001/ijphm.2015.v6i3.2283

Aging Mechanisms and Monitoring of Cable Polymers

Nicola Bowler, Shuaishuai Liu
Abstract 766 | PDF Downloads 637 | DOI https://doi.org/10.36001/ijphm.2015.v6i3.2287