VII. Equipment Performance and Materiel Condition

A. INTRODUCTION

The goal in achieving excellent equipment performance and materiel condition is to ensure that events are not caused or contributed to by malfunctioning equipment, important equipment operates when needed, operators are not burdened with compensatory actions as a result of equipment performance problems, and equipment malfunctions or deficiencies are corrected in a timely manner and seldom recur. Achievement of excellent equipment performance and materiel condition involves many factors. This includes establishment and communication of high standards, identification of degraded equipment, ongoing maintenance (corrective and preventive), routine condition monitoring and testing of equipment, proper maintenance of chemistry in fluid systems, controlled and effective modifications, and a design that supports safe and reliable plant operation.

A key indicator of a well-maintained and operated station is proper functioning of facilities, systems, and equipment. Excellent equipment performance and materiel condition can be established and maintained by knowledgeable individuals who are responsible for monitoring system and equipment for degraded performance, adverse trends, and incipient failures, and who take prompt corrective action prior to failure. Additionally, periodic, focused inspections can help identify and correct deficiencies, especially in areas of the plant that are remote or infrequently accessed. Excellent equipment performance and materiel condition is also important because high quality work conditions can result in improved worker attitudes that enhance work performance.

Maintaining systems and equipment within design conditions results in benefits such as increasing system availability, increasing equipment reliability, reducing operator burdens and control room alarms caused by malfunctioning equipment, minimizing fluid leakage, and maintaining equipment environmental integrity.

Maintaining system chemistry is extremely important to maintenance of materiel condition. Improper chemistry is not readily discernable while performing routine inspections and tours, and damage can be significant before it is detected. Therefore, an aggressive sampling and control program is extremely important to protect the life of the asset.

The equipment performance and materiel condition at a unit is a direct result of the effectiveness of the maintenance program. However, a maintenance program extends beyond the organizational boundaries of the maintenance organization. Thus, many of the principles discussed in this document are applied effectively at a unit with excellent performance in this area.

B. GUIDELINES

32. Standards

Effectively communicate standards for equipment performance and materiel condition to all personnel. Managers assess adherence to these standards. These standards apply to equipment important to unit safety and reliability. Examples of standards that contribute to this include the following:

· Plant availability and capacity meet or exceed company and industry goals.

· Safety performance meets or exceeds company and industry goals.

· Plant systems operate within their design parameters.

· Rotating equipment operates in accordance with design specifications (for example, bearing temperatures normal, vibration levels normal, and shaft seal leakage limited to that required to cool and lubricate the shaft seals).

· Energized electrical and electronic equipment is operable, supplied from normal power sources, and protected from adverse environmental and operational effects such as high temperature and humidity or excessive cycling.

· Equipment is properly serviced (for example, lubrication, drive belts, filters).

· Newly installed or modified systems and equipment are tested and verified to satisfy all design requirements and to be in good working order in all required operating modes before operational acceptance.

· Instruments and gauges are operational, calibrated, and on scale; and indicate values representative of the existing system and equipment conditions. Instrumentation with automatic control features is reliable and does not have to be operated in manual.

· Fluid system integrity is maintained. Leaks that can be corrected during operation are repaired in a timely manner. Leakage from components that cannot be repaired under existing station conditions is collected and routed to appropriate drains or collection facilities, particularly if this leakage could cause a further degradation of equipment, present a safety hazard, or cause the spread of hazardous chemicals.

· Chemistry controls optimize chemistry conditions during all phases of plant operation and system non-operational periods.

· Fasteners and supports, including mechanical equipment and electrical enclosures, are installed properly.

· Equipment and systems are insulated to control heat transfer to or from the environment, to control ambient noise levels, and to promote personnel safety.

· Equipment, structures, and systems are protected with a preservative to minimize corrosion.

· Equipment is clean (for example, dirt, debris, tools, parts, and miscellaneous materiels are not allowed to accumulate on equipment or inside electrical panels).

· Temporary repairs are evaluated, controlled, and tracked. The use of temporary repairs is minimized, and permanent repairs are made at the earliest reasonable opportunity. Additionally, temporary modifications are minimized to the extent practicable.

· Temporary environmental protection (for example, dust, humidity, freeze, shock) is provided as appropriate, including protection for plant equipment when needed to support construction, outages, or maintenance activities.

· Unauthorized modifications or changes to the unit do not exist.

· Materiel deficiencies are identified and tracked, are in the maintenance work management process, and are corrected in a timely manner.

· Illumination of areas, rooms, and grounds is sufficient to perform work activities and inspections properly and safely.

· Equipment is maintained in the required environmental condition (for example, room heat load is within specification).

33. Training

Personnel must be aware of the management standards and expectations for equipment performance and materiel condition. Appropriate personnel are aware of the importance of maintaining good equipment performance and plant materiel condition.

34. Monitoring and Assessing Equipment Performance and Materiel Condition

Management implements an ongoing program for monitoring and assessing materiel condition. This aspect of the maintenance program is typically the primary responsibility of the engineering and technical support organization. One aspect is an aggressive program that periodically reviews system and equipment performance and provides for visual inspections when appropriate. Assessment of equipment performance and materiel condition includes analysis of the aggregate of indicators such as equipment history, system and equipment performance monitoring, and station or industry events that may identify less obvious problems.

Precursors to degrading equipment performance are identified and evaluated to preclude conditions that adversely impact plant operations. These precursors may include a number of temporary leak repairs, overdue preventive maintenance tasks, and a number of equipment deficiencies requiring compensatory operations.

XXX. a. Inspection Program

Properly used, a materiel condition inspection is an important component of the overall program to identify and correct equipment performance problems and degraded components. Include the following elements in the inspection:

· procedures that describe the inspection and define expected standards

· a method for deficiency reporting and corrective action follow-up, including definition of responsibilities

XXXI. b. Reviews

1. Event Investigations

Review unit unplanned automatic shutdowns or other significant plant events thoroughly to identify any improper performance of equipment challenged by the event. Systems or equipment not fulfilling design requirements under these conditions represent a degradation of material condition and require management attention and prompt corrective action.

2. Maintenance History

Perform periodic and systematic reviews of maintenance history to identify any trends of degraded equipment performance. These reviews include the performance of similar components installed in other locations to obtain the best information available on the performance of specific components. Components showing an abnormal failure rate are subjected to root cause analysis for corrective measures.

3. Monitoring Data

Selected data can indicate overall material condition. Equipment predictive maintenance and system performance monitoring can indicate degradation in sufficient time to allow corrective actions to be planned and executed to prevent failures. Overall plant performance measures, such as gross heat rate and unplanned capability loss factor, could provide an overall indication of material condition. Investigate adverse deviation from the median for these and other indicators, and take corrective action as necessary.

4. Equipment Aging

Periodically review maintenance history to determine equipment failure trends attributed to aging. Based on the frequency recommended in vendor manuals or determined by station and industry operating experience, periodically replace items, including the following:

· electronic and electrical components such as power supplies, batteries, capacitors, solenoids, and relays

· rubber and polymer o-rings and sealants that may degrade as a result of temperature, pressure, and ultra-violet radiation

XXXII. c. Chemistry program

Clear organizational responsibility and accountability is defined for monitoring chemical parameters of fluid systems, making adjustment to chemistry as required. This includes activities necessary to support sampling, analysis, trending, and technical evaluation of current and proposed new control schemes. This program ensures:

· Chemistry specifications are clear and properly implemented.

· Proper sampling, analysis and evaluation parameters are established and implemented to ensure specifications are maintained.

· Specifications are modified as appropriate for different system conditions.

· Monitoring and analytical equipment is properly maintained and calibrated.

· Personnel are adequately trained and qualified.

· Chemicals are properly stored and handled to prevent injury to personnel or damage to equipment.