Device management system and device management method

Abstract

To provide an equipment management system or the like for properly managing equipment.SOLUTION: The equipment management system M1 includes an equipment performance monitor 22 that monitors the performances and reliabilities of the pieces of equipment included in a predetermined system of the nuclear power facility based on the importance levels of the pieces of equipment and the state information of the pieces of equipment, a health evaluator 24 that predicts the remaining lives of the pieces of equipment based on the state information and evaluates the health of the pieces of equipment based on the remaining lives and the importance levels of the pieces of equipment, and a preventive maintenance planner 25 that makes a preventive maintenance plan of the nuclear power facility based on the evaluation results of the health evaluator 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device management system and a device management method. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology relating to the maintenance of nuclear power generation facilities, for example, the system described in Patent Document 1 is known. That is, Patent Document 1 describes that "plant design and operation information and risk information are input, the importance of plant facilities and equipment is evaluated, and importance rank information of the plant facilities and equipment is output." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-252311 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, a maintenance method is selected based on importance rank information of plant facilities and equipment, but there is room for improvement in terms of appropriate management of equipment.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a device management system or the like that appropriately manages devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the equipment management system according to the present disclosure includes an equipment performance monitoring unit that monitors the performance and reliability of equipment included in a specified system of a nuclear power generation facility based on the importance of the equipment and status information of the equipment, a health assessment unit that predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on the status information and evaluates the health of the equipment based on the remaining life and the importance of the equipment, and a preventive maintenance planning unit that formulates a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power generation facility based on the evaluation results of the health assessment unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a device management system and the like that appropriately manages devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a device management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a processing unit of the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between element functions of a system and components of the system in a device management system according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gate valve, which is one of the components of a nuclear power plant, in an equipment management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration management database of the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a maintenance activity / monitoring item database of the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a sensing database of the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an FMEA database of the device management system according to the embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a field data database of the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a correspondence table between systems, functions, and components of the device management system according to the embodiment; [Figure 11A] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a class classification determination table of the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 11B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the class classification determination table of the device management system according to the embodiment is changed; [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram regarding classification of class A in the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding classification of class B in the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12C] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding classification of class C in the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of device life threshold data in the device management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by a processing unit of the device management system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Embodiment> <Device Management System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a device management system M1 according to an embodiment. The equipment management system M1 is a system for managing equipment in a nuclear power plant. The reactor of the managed nuclear power plant may be a boiling water reactor (BWR) or a pressurized water reactor (PWR), or may be another type of reactor. The nuclear power plant managed by the equipment management system M1 may be in operation, shut down, or in the process of being decommissioned. As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment management system M1 is configured to include an equipment management device 100 and a database device 200.

[0010] The equipment management device 100 is a device that manages equipment in a nuclear power plant. The equipment management device 100 may be configured as a single computer, or may be configured as a plurality of computers (e.g., servers) connected in a predetermined manner. As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment management device 100 includes a storage unit 10, a processing unit 20, an input unit 30, an output unit 40, and a communication unit 50.

[0011] Although not shown, the hardware configuration of the storage unit 10 includes non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disk Drive), and volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a register. The storage unit 10 stores predetermined programs to be executed by the processing unit 20, as well as predetermined data.

[0012] The processing unit 20 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and reads out programs and data stored in the storage unit 10 to execute predetermined processing. The input unit 30 is used to input predetermined data through user operation. A keyboard or a mouse is used as this input unit 30. The output unit 40 outputs the results of processing by the processing unit 20 in a predetermined manner. A display, for example, is used as this output unit 40. The communication unit 50 communicates with the database device 200 via the network N1 in a predetermined manner.

[0013] 1, the storage unit 10 stores a correspondence table 11 between systems, functions, and components, maintenance activity extraction information 12, sensing extraction information 13, FMEA extraction information 14, and field data extraction information 15. In addition to the above-mentioned data, the storage unit 10 also stores a class classification determination table 16, an equipment monitoring classification table 17, adsorbent life evaluation data 18, and equipment life threshold data 19. The data in the storage unit 10 will be described later.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 20 includes an equipment importance determination unit 21, an equipment performance monitoring unit 22, a radioactivity evaluation unit 23, a health evaluation unit 24, a preventive maintenance planning unit 25, a corrective action unit 26, and a life cycle management unit 27. The equipment importance determination unit 21 determines the importance of each of the multiple pieces of equipment included in the nuclear power plant. Here, the "importance" of an equipment indicates the level of importance of the equipment when performing preventive maintenance of the nuclear power plant. "Preventive maintenance" is a maintenance method in which predetermined maintenance work is performed periodically to prevent the occurrence of malfunctions before they occur.

[0015] The equipment performance monitoring unit 22 monitors the performance and reliability of equipment included in a predetermined system of the nuclear power plant based on the importance of the equipment and the equipment status information. The radioactivity evaluation unit 23 evaluates whether or not there is a possibility that radioactivity at a predetermined location in the nuclear power plant will exceed an allowable level. The health evaluation unit 24 predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on the equipment status information, and evaluates the health of the equipment based on this remaining life and the importance of the equipment. Here, the "health" of the equipment means that the equipment is in a state where it can continue to operate without any problems. Also, "evaluating the health" of the equipment means determining whether the equipment is healthy or not by comparing the remaining life of the equipment with a predetermined threshold (a threshold for the remaining life determined by the importance of the equipment).

[0016] The preventive maintenance planning unit 25 formulates a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power generation facility based on the evaluation results of the health evaluation unit 24. Note that the "formulation" of a preventive maintenance plan also includes the "change" of the preventive maintenance plan.

[0017] The corrective action unit 26 appropriately corrects (modifies) the remaining life margin of the equipment based on the importance of the equipment. The life cycle management unit 27 manages the life cycle of the equipment from installation to replacement based on the performance history of the equipment, the history of the remaining life of the equipment, and the history of changes in the remaining life margin.

[0018] 1 is an external storage device that stores multiple databases, and is connected to the equipment management device 100 via a network N1. As shown in Fig. 1, the database device 200 stores a configuration management database 210, a maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220, a sensing database 230, an FMEA database 240, and a field data database 250.

[0019] The configuration management database 210 is a database that includes the design requirements of nuclear power generation facilities. The maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220 is a database that indicates the content and frequency of maintenance work for nuclear power generation facilities. The sensing database 230 is a database that indicates the mechanisms for detecting malfunctions and deterioration of equipment.

[0020] The FMEA database 240 is a database that indicates effective maintenance work and monitoring items for preventing equipment failures. "FMEA" is an abbreviation for Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, and refers to a systematic analysis method for potential failures. The field data database 250 is a database that indicates the history of maintenance work for nuclear power generation facilities.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the processing unit 20. As described above, the equipment importance determination unit 21 is a functional unit that determines the importance of equipment in the nuclear power plant. The equipment performance monitoring unit 22 monitors the performance and reliability of the equipment based on the importance of the equipment, equipment status information, and also on the processing results of the preventive maintenance planning unit 25 and the corrective action unit 26. The radioactivity evaluation unit 23 evaluates whether or not there is a possibility that radioactivity will exceed the allowable level based on the equipment status information and equipment importance.

[0022] The health evaluation unit 24 predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on the status information (sensor data and inspection results of the equipment) obtained by monitoring the equipment, and evaluates the health of the equipment based on the remaining life and the importance of the equipment. The processing results of the corrective action unit 26 are also used as appropriate to evaluate the health of the equipment.

[0023] The preventive maintenance planning unit 25 formulates a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power plant equipment based on the processing results of the health assessment unit 24. The corrective action unit 26 appropriately adjusts the remaining life margin of the equipment based on the status information acquired during equipment monitoring. The life cycle management unit 27 manages the life cycle of the equipment based on the processing results of the equipment performance monitoring unit 22, the radioactivity assessment unit 23, the health assessment unit 24, and the corrective action unit 26.

[0024] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the element functions of a system and the components of the system. In this embodiment, the function of a specific system in a nuclear power plant during operation, shutdown, or decommissioning is decomposed into multiple "element functions," such as a cooling function, an isolation function, a flow control function, a pressure-resistant function, an air-conditioning function, and a radioactive material containment function. Here, a "system" refers to a group of equipment grouped together from the perspective of mechanical coupling, electrical connection, and fluid circulation. For example, a reactor cooling system, which is one of the cooling systems, includes multiple equipment such as a feedwater pump, a steam separator, a steam dryer, valves, and a recirculation pump, although these are not shown. Note that a nuclear power plant typically includes several hundred systems, and each system includes a large number of equipment.

[0025] In the example in Figure 3, one system called "◇◇ system" has multiple element functions such as cooling, isolation, and flow control functions. The cooling function is performed by multiple devices included in the "◇◇ system." The same applies to isolation and flow control functions.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a gate valve 70, which is one of the components of a nuclear power plant. A gate valve 70 shown in Fig. 4 is an example of equipment that constitutes a nuclear power plant. As shown in Fig. 4, the gate valve 70 includes a handle 71, a valve stem 72, an upper base 73, a lower base 74, a valve seat 75, and O-rings 76 and 77. The gate valve 70 has the function of allowing a forceful flow of fluid when fully open, and of blocking the flow of fluid when fully closed. Next, each database of the database device 200 (see FIG. 1) will be explained in turn.

[0027] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration management database 210. As shown in FIG. As described above, the configuration management database 210 is a database that includes the design requirements of nuclear power generation facilities, etc. The configuration management database 210 is configured to include the following categories of information: "design requirements," "facility configuration information," "physical configuration," "operating conditions," and "weather information."

[0028] The "design requirements" category is associated with information that indicates the requirements for designing nuclear power generation facilities. Specifically, the constituent data of "design requirements" includes "legal regulations," "design standard documents," "calculation and analysis results," "reliability evaluation test results during construction," and "physical properties of consumables."

[0029] The category of "facility configuration information" is associated with information indicating the configuration of each facility of a nuclear power plant. Specifically, the configuration data of "facility configuration information" includes a "master equipment list," a "design basis document," a "procedure manual," a "drawing," and "environmental information." An example of "environmental information" is information on whether equipment is used inside or outside the reactor building.

[0030] The "Physical Configuration" category is associated with "Component Equivalence" and "Engineering Design Changes." "Component Equivalence" includes identification information for a group of functionally related devices, such as valves, absorbents, and filters. "Engineering Design Changes" includes historical information, such as when a device is replaced with another device with different specifications.

[0031] The "operating conditions" category is associated with information indicating the operating conditions of a nuclear power plant during operation, shutdown, or decommissioning. In the example of Figure 5, the constituent data of "operating conditions" related to decommissioning work of a nuclear power plant includes a "debris removal work process," a "work location," a "water volume during work," and a "work method."

[0032] The "debris removal work process" is information that specifies the work process for removing fuel debris (nuclear fuel and structures that have cooled and solidified after melting) from the reactor. The "work location" is information that specifies whether the work will be carried out near the fuel debris or at a location farther away from the fuel debris. The closer to the fuel debris, the greater the degree of radiation impact (human exposure and equipment deterioration).

[0033] The "amount of water during work" shown in Figure 5 is the amount of contaminated water (water containing high concentrations of radioactive materials) estimated to be present in the reactor when fuel debris is removed using a robotic arm or other device. For example, when it rains and the amount of groundwater increases, groundwater welling up from the ground enters the reactor, increasing the amount of contaminated water. Furthermore, the greater the amount of contaminated water in the reactor, the more difficult it tends to be to remove the fuel debris. The "work method" shown in Figure 5 is information indicating the work method used to remove fuel debris from the reactor.

[0034] Additionally, the "weather information" category is associated with predicted values ​​for "precipitation" and "snowfall" when fuel debris removal work is carried out. In other words, the amount of precipitation and snowfall on the date and time period when fuel debris removal work is carried out is stored as "weather information." As mentioned above, the greater the amount of precipitation (or snowfall), the greater the possibility that groundwater will flow into the reactor, increasing the amount of contaminated water, which tends to make fuel debris removal work more difficult.

[0035] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the maintenance activity and monitoring item database 220. As shown in FIG. As described above, the maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220 is a database that indicates the content and frequency of maintenance work for nuclear power generation facilities. The maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220 has a "maintenance activity" column and a "monitoring item" column. "Maintenance activity" refers to maintenance work that places a relatively large burden on people, such as non-destructive testing and overhaul inspection. "Monitoring items" refers to maintenance work that places a relatively small burden on people, such as visual inspection and analysis based on sensor data.

[0036] 6, information indicating the "target deterioration events" as well as the content and frequency of "maintenance activities" and "monitoring items" is set in advance. For example, the frequency with which workers will perform non-destructive testing of a specific piece of equipment and deterioration events such as corrosion that may be found in non-destructive testing are stored in the maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220.

[0037] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the sensing database 230. As shown in FIG. As described above, the sensing database 230 is a database that indicates the mechanism for detecting equipment malfunctions and deterioration. In the sensing database 230, data such as the "cause of deterioration," "measurement target," "measurement method," and "sensor installation location" are associated with the "equipment name" of the equipment in the nuclear power plant, in addition to the "failure location" and "deterioration mechanism" that are anticipated in advance. In the example of Figure 7, when "packing deterioration" occurs in the "sealing part" of the "XX valve," one of the causes is shown to be "thermal deterioration of the resin." Such "packing deterioration" in the "sealing part" is detected, for example, based on the results of "vibration measurement" by a sensor installed on the "external surface of the electric motor."

[0038] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the FMEA database 240. As mentioned above, the FMEA database 240 is a database that indicates effective maintenance operations and monitoring items for preventing equipment failures. In the FMEA database 240, data such as the "deterioration mode" of equipment and "effective maintenance activities and monitoring items" for preventing malfunctions are associated with "equipment names." The "deterioration mode" includes information such as the "failure location" and "deterioration mechanism," as well as the "effect of deterioration," "severity of deterioration," and "frequency of deterioration."

[0039] In the example of Figure 8, if the "shaft" of the "◇◇ pump" fails due to "corrosion," the deterioration will cause an increase in vibration, and the severity of the deterioration will be high, but the frequency of deterioration is low. Effective maintenance activities and monitoring items to prevent the occurrence of such deterioration modes include "vibration measurement" and "overhaul inspection."

[0040] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the field data database 250. As shown in FIG. As described above, the field data database 250 is a database showing the history of maintenance work for nuclear power generation facilities. That is, data showing the results of maintenance activities and monitoring items that have actually been performed based on the maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220 (see FIG. 6) is stored in the field data database 250.

[0041] In the example of Figure 9, the frequency and results of maintenance activities are associated with the content of "maintenance activities" such as non-destructive testing and overhaul inspection. Also, the frequency and results of monitoring are associated with the content of "monitoring items" such as lubricant analysis and visual inspection.

[0042] Next, a method for determining the importance of a device will be described. As described above, the equipment importance determination unit 21 shown in Fig. 1 determines the importance of equipment in a nuclear power plant. Specifically, in order to assign priorities when optimizing maintenance work, the equipment importance determination unit 21 first extracts necessary information from the configuration management database 210 (see Fig. 5), and generates a correspondence table 11 (see Fig. 10) between systems, functions, and components based on that information. Note that "optimization" of maintenance work refers to processing to reduce waste in maintenance work while ensuring the reliability of the nuclear power plant (for example, extending the inspection cycle or changing the content of maintenance work).

[0043] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the system-function-component correspondence table 11. As shown in FIG. The system-function-component correspondence table 11 is a data table that associates the "element functions carried out by the system," the "importance of each element function," and the "necessity of components for the element function." As mentioned above, an element function is an individual function possessed by a specific system (see also Figure 3).

[0044] In the example of Figure 10, cooling, isolation, and flow control functions are listed as "element functions performed by the system." Furthermore, as "importance of element functions," one of H (High), M (Middle), and L (Low) is associated with a specific element function. Furthermore, as "necessity of components for element functions," one of H (High), M (Middle), L (Low), and no contribution (-) is associated with each piece of equipment.

[0045] The "necessity of components for elemental functions" is an index that indicates the degree to which a system's constituent equipment (components) is required to perform a specific elemental function. In the example of Figure 10, the importance of the cooling function, which is one of the elemental functions, is "M," and the necessity of components for the cooling function is as follows: △△ valve is "L," ○○ valve is "M," ◇◇ pump is "H," and ◇ motor is "L." In addition, the importance of other elemental functions, such as isolation and flow control functions, and the necessity of components for the elemental functions are also set in advance.

[0046] FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the class classification determination table 16. As shown in FIG. The class classification determination table 16 shown in Fig. 11A is a data table used by the equipment importance determination unit 21 (see Fig. 1) when classifying equipment in a nuclear power plant into multiple classes. The vertical axis of Fig. 11A represents the importance of an element function in a given system, which is divided into three levels: H (High), M (Middle), and L (Low). The horizontal axis of Fig. 11A represents the necessity of the equipment for the element function, which is divided into four levels: H (High), M (Middle), L (Low), and "no contribution."

[0047] Then, the equipment importance determination unit 21 (see FIG. 1) classifies the equipment into one of classes A, B, or C based on a combination of the importance of a predetermined elemental function in the system / function / component correspondence table 11 and the necessity of the equipment (component) for that elemental function. In other words, after dividing the system functions into multiple elemental functions, the equipment importance determination unit 21 (see FIG. 1) uses these elemental functions as a medium to classify each piece of equipment into one of classes A, B, or C. This makes it possible to appropriately classify the enormous number of pieces of equipment in a nuclear power plant based on the importance of maintenance work.

[0048] For example, if the importance of an element function is "H" and the necessity of the equipment for the element function is "H," the equipment is classified as Class A. Class A is the class with the highest level of importance when performing maintenance work.

[0049] Furthermore, if the importance of the element function is "H" and the necessity of equipment for the element function is "M" or "L", the equipment is classified as Class B. Furthermore, if the importance of the element function is "M" and the necessity of equipment for the element function is "H" or "M", the equipment is also classified as Class B. Furthermore, if the importance of the element function is "L" and the necessity of equipment for the element function is "H", the equipment is also classified as Class B. Class B is a class of medium importance when performing maintenance work.

[0050] Furthermore, if the importance of the element function is "H" and the necessity of the equipment for the element function is "no contribution", the equipment is classified as Class C. Furthermore, if the importance of the element function is "M" and the necessity of the equipment for the element function is "L" or "no contribution", the equipment is also classified as Class C. Furthermore, if the importance of the element function is "L" and the necessity of the equipment for the element function is any of "M", "L", or "no contribution", the equipment is also classified as Class C. Class C is the lowest class of importance when performing maintenance work.

[0051] In this way, in the classification determination table 16, a class (one of classes A, B, or C) indicating the importance of a device is associated with a combination of the importance of an element function in a predetermined system and the necessity of the device for the element function. The device importance determination unit 21 (see FIG. 1) determines the importance (class) of a device based on information including a combination of the importance of the element function in a system and the necessity of the device for the element function.

[0052] When determining the importance of equipment (i.e., classifying the equipment), the system / function / component correspondence table 11 (see FIG. 10) is also referenced in addition to the class classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A). For example, the "XX valve" shown in FIG. 10 is classified into class A because the importance of the isolation function is "H" and the necessity for the isolation function is also "H." Incidentally, the "XX valve" is also a component of the cooling function and the flow control function, but when classifying the equipment, the combination that results in the highest rank based on the class classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A) is adopted. The same can be said for classifying other equipment.

[0053] FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the class classification determination table 16 has been changed. It is assumed that the class classification determination table 16 for a given nuclear power plant has been changed from FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B due to changes in the conditions of use of the equipment. For example, when decommissioning a nuclear power plant, work such as removing spent nuclear fuel and dismantling the reactor building (or covering the reactor building) is carried out. Furthermore, if fuel debris is present in the nuclear power plant, work such as removing the fuel debris and storing and purifying contaminated water containing radioactive materials is also carried out. The amount of radioactive material present during these decommissioning operations can vary depending on the work target, work content, work location, and work method, and the effects of radiation can cause equipment to deteriorate. For example, when removing fuel debris from a nuclear reactor, the area where the fuel debris is present has very high levels of radiation, so the rate of deterioration of the equipment often increases due to the effects of radiation.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, the device importance determination unit 21 (see FIG. 1) appropriately changes the class classification determination table 16 as the use conditions of the device change. For example, in the example of FIG. 11A, if the importance of an element function is "M" and the necessity of the device for the element function is "H," the importance of the device is set to be classified into Class B. If the device is subsequently used in a harsh environment with strong radiation, the device importance determination unit 21 changes the class classification determination table 16, for example, as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 11B, the device importance determination unit 21 changes the class classification determination table 16 so that a device with the importance of an element function of "M" and the necessity of the device for the element function of "H" is classified into Class A. This allows the performance and reliability of the target device to be evaluated based on stricter standards corresponding to Class A. Therefore, even when the device is used in a harsh environment with strong radiation, the performance and reliability of the device can be appropriately evaluated.

[0055] FIG. 12A is an explanatory diagram regarding the classification of class A. The system-function-component correspondence table 11 shown in FIG. 12A is the same as that shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 12A, as shown in the area surrounded by a thick frame, the importance of the isolation function is "H," and the necessity of the "XX valve" for the isolation function is also "H." Note that although a cooling function and a flow control function also exist as element functions, as described above, the highest ranked combination is used for classification. Therefore, the "XX valve" is classified into class A based on the above-described classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A).

[0056] FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram regarding the classification of class B. In the example of "◇◇ Pump" in Figure 12B, when looking at the combinations of "importance of element function" and "necessity of equipment" (hereinafter, the symbol "x" indicates a combination), the cooling function is M x H, the isolation function is H x L, and the flow control function is L x H. Of these three combinations, the one with the highest rank based on the class classification determination table 16 (see Figure 11A) is class B, which corresponds to the cooling function M x H. Therefore, the "◇◇ Pump" is classified into class B.

[0057] FIG. 12C is an explanatory diagram regarding the classification of class C. In the example of the "△△ valve" in Figure 12C, when looking at the combination of "importance of element function" and "necessity of equipment," the cooling function is M x L, the isolation function is H x "-" (no contribution), and the flow control function is L x M. Referring to the classification determination table 16 (see Figure 11A), all three of these combinations fall into class C. Therefore, the "△△ valve" is classified into class C.

[0058] Next, each piece of information stored in the storage unit 10 (see FIG. 1) will be described. The system / function / component correspondence table 11 (see FIG. 10) and the class classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A) have been described above, and therefore will not be described below. The maintenance activity extraction information 12 (see FIG. 1) stored in the memory unit 10 is information (information on equipment targeted for optimization of maintenance work) extracted from the maintenance activity / monitoring item database 220 (see FIG. 6) when the corrective action unit 26 (see FIG. 1) optimizes the maintenance work of the equipment.

[0059] Furthermore, sensing extraction information 13 (see FIG. 1) is information extracted from sensing database 230 (see FIG. 7) when optimizing maintenance work. Furthermore, FMEA extraction information 14 (see FIG. 1) is information extracted from FMEA database 240 (see FIG. 8) when optimizing maintenance work. Field data extraction information 15 (see FIG. 1) is information extracted from field data database 250 (see FIG. 9) when optimizing maintenance work.

[0060] The equipment monitoring classification table 17 (see FIG. 1) is a data table that the health assessment unit 24 (see FIG. 1) refers to when estimating the remaining life of equipment. This equipment monitoring classification table 17 includes, for example, equipment operation data, EQ test data, and As Found data. The EQ test data is data that indicates the environmental qualification (EQ) of the equipment in the nuclear power plant. The As Found data includes data obtained during tests while the nuclear power plant is in operation, data obtained during periodic inspections, and data obtained from parts (consumables) removed during periodic inspections.

[0061] Adsorbent life evaluation data 18 (see FIG. 1) is data used to evaluate the remaining life of the adsorbent supported inside the adsorption tower (not shown). For example, the adsorbent life evaluation data 18 may include data such as the type of adsorbent used to adsorb radioactive materials from contaminated water and a formula for calculating the remaining life when that adsorbent is used. The remaining life of the adsorption tower is predicted by substituting the values ​​of status information about the adsorption tower (sensor data and inspection results) into the remaining life calculation formula or data table. Equipment life threshold data 19 (see FIG. 1) shown in FIG. 1 is data indicating a threshold for predicting the end of the equipment's life.

[0062] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the device life threshold data 19. The horizontal axis in Figure 13 represents the time elapsed since the device was first put into use. The vertical axis in Figure 13 represents the compression set of a device component (e.g., an O-ring). The solid curve in Figure 13 is a life curve based on the results of an EQ test. In the EQ test, a specified test piece is kept compressed for a specified time, and the remaining strain (compression set) after release is measured. Incidentally, the higher the sealing function, the smaller the compression set value of the test piece.

[0063] The dashed curve in Figure 13 is a life curve based on the EQ test and as-found data. Because the EQ test is conducted under harsh conditions, the as-found data, which are closer to actual usage conditions, are also reflected in the life curve as appropriate. As shown in Figure 13, the life curve based on the EQ test and as-found data (dashed curve) has a smaller compression set value relative to the elapsed time from the start of use than the life curve based only on the EQ test (solid curve). In other words, the dashed life curve reflects the as-found data, which is closer to actual usage conditions, and therefore overestimates the sealing function of the test specimen.

[0064] The threshold value Cs1 shown in Fig. 13 is a compression set threshold value applied to general equipment (equipment that is not particularly used in harsh environments such as radiation). Another threshold value Cs2 is a compression set threshold value applied to high-reliability equipment used in harsh environments such as radiation. The threshold value Cs2 applied to high-reliability equipment is smaller than the threshold value Cs1 applied to general equipment. In other words, for high-reliability equipment used in nuclear power generation facilities, the compression set threshold value is set stricter.

[0065] If the compression set threshold is set uniformly low (i.e., too strict) for high-reliability equipment, the frequency of part replacement may increase unnecessarily in some cases. Also, if the compression set threshold is set uniformly high (i.e., too lenient) for high-reliability equipment, the risk of fluid leakage increases.

[0066] Therefore, for example, the higher the importance of a device, the stricter the threshold value for compression set and the like when estimating the end of its life may be set. This allows the device's reliability to be ensured while the end of its life can be appropriately estimated. Furthermore, for devices with low importance, the threshold value for the end of life is set more leniently, which prevents unnecessary frequent part replacement.

[0067] As described above, the health assessment unit 24 (see FIG. 1) predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on the equipment status information (sensor data and inspection results). For example, the health assessment unit 24 calculates a predetermined index value used for predicting the life of the equipment based on the equipment status information, and predicts the life of the equipment based on a mathematical formula or data table showing a life curve and the index value. Note that the above-described process is an example and is not limited to this.

[0068] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the processing unit (see also FIG. 1 as appropriate). In step S101, the processing unit 20 extracts from the configuration management database 210 the relationships between the element functions of the system and the constituent devices (components). In step S102, the processing unit 20 generates the correspondence table 11 between systems, functions, and components (see FIG. 10). That is, the processing unit 20 generates the correspondence table 11 between systems, functions, and components based on the information extracted in step S101.

[0069] In step S103, the processing unit 20 determines whether or not the class classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A) needs to be changed by the device importance determination unit 21. In step S103, if the class classification determination table 16 needs to be changed (S103: Yes), the processing of the processing unit 20 proceeds to step S104.

[0070] In step S104, the processing unit 20 causes the equipment importance determination unit 21 to make predetermined changes to the class classification determination table 16. Examples of changes in equipment usage conditions include the progress of the debris removal work process when removing fuel debris from the reactor, and changes in the distance from the location of the fuel debris to the construction site. Other changes in equipment usage conditions include changes in the amount of water used during decommissioning work and changes in work methods.

[0071] For example, when the conditions of use of equipment change due to decommissioning work at a nuclear power plant and the load on the equipment increases, the equipment importance determination unit 21 changes the class classification determination table 16 to increase the importance of the equipment (see Figure 11B).

[0072] As a specific example, suppose an adsorption tower carrying an adsorbent that adsorbs radioactive materials is used as the equipment. In this configuration, if the increase in the amount of contaminated water treated per unit time of the adsorption tower is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the equipment importance determination unit 21 determines that the load on the adsorption tower has increased. The equipment importance determination unit 21 then changes the class classification determination table 16 in a predetermined manner to increase the importance of the adsorption tower. This allows the importance to be set according to the actual usage conditions of the equipment.

[0073] It should be noted that the conditions for using equipment may change even during normal operation other than decommissioning work. When the conditions for using equipment change and the equipment is to be used in a severe radiation environment, the class classification determination table 16 is changed to increase the importance of the equipment. A specific method for changing the class classification determination table 16 is set in advance as a predetermined program and stored in the storage unit 10 (see FIG. 1).

[0074] After performing the process of step S104, the processing unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S105. Also, in step S103, if it is determined that the class classification determination table 16 does not need to be changed (S103: No), the processing unit 20 also proceeds to the process of step S105.

[0075] In step S105, the processing unit 20 classifies the target device into any one of classes A, B, and C using the device importance determination unit 21. That is, the processing unit 20 classifies the device into any one of classes A, B, and C based on the system / function / component correspondence table 11 (see FIG. 10) generated in step S102 and the class classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A).

[0076] Next, in step S106, the processing unit 20 monitors the performance and reliability of the equipment using the equipment performance monitoring unit 22 (equipment performance monitoring process). That is, the processing unit 20 monitors the performance and reliability of the equipment based on the importance of the equipment included in a predetermined system of the nuclear power plant and the equipment status information. The equipment status information includes sensor data based on the sensing database 230 (see FIG. 7) and the results of maintenance activities and monitoring based on the field data database 250 (see FIG. 9).

[0077] Monitoring the "performance" of equipment means measuring predetermined state quantities that indicate the performance of the equipment and performing predetermined analyses based on the measured values. For example, the performance of a seal part of the equipment may be monitored by measuring the vibration or analyzing the hardness of the seal part. Monitoring the "reliability" of equipment means determining whether a predetermined state quantity that indicates the performance of the equipment is within an allowable range for ensuring the reliability of the equipment.

[0078] Next, in step S107, the processing unit 20 predicts the remaining life of the equipment using the health evaluation unit 24. That is, the processing unit 20 predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on status information such as sensor data of the equipment and results of maintenance activities and monitoring. In step S108, the processing unit 20 evaluates the health of the device using the health evaluation unit 24. That is, the processing unit 20 evaluates the health of the device based on the remaining life of the device and the importance of the device predicted in step S107. Specifically, the processing unit 20 sets a stricter threshold value as a criterion for determining the remaining life of the device as the importance of the device increases. Then, the processing unit 20 evaluates the health of the device by comparing the remaining life of the device with the predetermined threshold value.

[0079] The "health evaluation process" that predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on the equipment status information and evaluates the health of the equipment based on the remaining life and the importance of the equipment includes the processes of steps S107 and S108. If necessary, the corrective action unit 26 may correct the threshold value of the predetermined state quantity that is the criterion for determining whether the life of the equipment has expired.

[0080] Next, in step S109, the processing unit 20 formulates a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power plant (preventive maintenance planning process). That is, the processing unit 20 formulates a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power plant using the preventive maintenance planning unit 25 based on the evaluation results of the health evaluation unit 24. For example, for equipment with a high health evaluation result, the margin of the inspection cycle may be set small within a range that ensures the safety and performance of the equipment. As described above, the health of the equipment is evaluated based on the predicted value of the remaining life and the importance of the equipment, and further, a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power plant is formulated based on the evaluation results. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary frequent inspections of equipment with a considerable remaining life or low importance, and ultimately to optimize maintenance work.

[0081] In step S110, the processing unit 20 displays the preventive maintenance plan and the like in a predetermined manner on the output unit 40. After performing the process of step S110, the processing unit 20 ends the series of processes (END).

[0082] In determining the importance of equipment, in addition to the combination of the importance of element functions and the necessity of equipment for the element functions (see FIG. 11A), predetermined information as described below may be additionally used. For example, the equipment importance determination unit 21 may identify a combination of the importance of element functions in a predetermined system and the necessity of equipment for the element functions, and determine the importance of equipment based on this combination, the equipment usage environment, and the equipment operating status. The equipment importance determination unit 21 sets a higher importance of equipment the higher the degree of influence of radiation in the usage environment during operation of the equipment. Then, the soundness of the equipment is evaluated more strictly based on the importance and remaining life of the equipment, taking safety into consideration.

[0083] The information on the "usage environment" may include information specifying whether the equipment is used inside the reactor building or outside the reactor building. In this case, the importance of the equipment is set higher when it is used inside the reactor building than when it is used outside. In addition, the "usage environment" may include information such as whether the equipment is used near the center of the reactor core or near the inner periphery of the core. In this case, the importance of the equipment is set higher when it is used near the center of the reactor core than when it is used near the periphery. In other words, the more severe the radiation environment in which the equipment is used, the higher the importance of the equipment should be set.

[0084] For example, if a device that was initially classified as class B based on the class classification determination table 16 (see FIG. 11A) ends up being used in a severe radiation environment, the rank may be raised from class B to class A. Alternatively, the device importance determination unit 21 may convert classes A, B, and C into predetermined numerical values, and further multiply the numerical value associated with the class (e.g., class A) resulting from the classification of the device by a predetermined coefficient indicating the severity of the radiation environment. Note that the method of calculating the importance is not limited to this.

[0085] Furthermore, the equipment importance determination unit 21 may identify a combination of the importance of element functions in a predetermined system and the necessity of equipment for the element functions, and determine the importance of the equipment that is the subject of the combination based on this combination and the operating status of other equipment in another system that may affect the operation schedule of the equipment. The equipment importance determination unit 21 sets the importance of the equipment that is the subject of the combination higher the likelihood that the operation schedule of the equipment that is the subject of the combination will be affected if a problem occurs in the operation of the other equipment.

[0086] For example, when contaminated water exists in a nuclear power plant, a contaminated water storage system and a contaminated water treatment system are installed. In such a configuration, if a temporary problem occurs in the contaminated water storage system (i.e., if the operating conditions change), the treatment volume per unit time of the contaminated water treatment system will increase (i.e., the operating schedule will be changed). During such a period when the treatment volume is high, the equipment importance determination unit 21 may increase the importance of equipment in the contaminated water treatment system (e.g., an adsorption tower). This allows the performance and reliability of the equipment in the contaminated water treatment system to be appropriately evaluated based on its importance. Note that the above-mentioned importance setting can also be applied to normal maintenance work other than decommissioning work.

[0087] Furthermore, when the preventive maintenance plan is a plan for decommissioning work of a nuclear power plant, the equipment importance determination unit 21 may perform the following processing. That is, the equipment importance determination unit 21 may identify a combination of the importance of element functions in a predetermined system and the necessity of equipment for the element functions, and determine the importance of equipment that is the subject of the combination based on this combination, the operating status of other equipment in another system that may affect the operation schedule of the equipment, and the predicted amount of precipitation or snowfall in the area including the nuclear power plant. The equipment importance determination unit 21 sets a higher importance for equipment that is the subject of the combination, the more likely it is that the operation schedule of the equipment that is the subject of the combination will be affected if precipitation or snowfall in the area including the nuclear power plant causes a disruption to the operation of other equipment.

[0088] For example, if it rains or snows during decommissioning work, the amount of groundwater will increase, causing groundwater to flow into the reactor, increasing the amount of contaminated water and making the decommissioning work more difficult. In this way, predicted values ​​for the amount of precipitation and snowfall can affect the operating schedule of equipment related to the decommissioning work. Therefore, for example, in order to advance the decommissioning work as much as possible before it starts to rain, it is advisable to set the importance of equipment that particularly affects the work speed higher.

[0089] Alternatively, the equipment importance determination unit 21 may identify a combination of the importance of an element function in a given system and the necessity of the equipment for that element function, and determine the importance of the equipment that is the subject of the combination based on this combination and the inspection records of other equipment in a different system that shares the same operating environment and specified physical property values ​​with the equipment. If the inspection records of other equipment that shares the same operating environment and physical property values ​​show that the equipment continues to be in a normal state, it is highly likely that the importance of the other equipment is appropriate, and this importance can be applied to the equipment. Note that a specified physical property value being "common" includes not only cases where the physical property values ​​are the same, but also cases where the difference in the physical property values ​​is within a specified range.

[0090] The "physical property" mentioned above refers to at least one of the following: activation energy of a specific component of the equipment, electrical insulation, hardness in a hardness test, elongation in a tensile test, wear amount of the specific component relative to the state when the equipment was new, and components contained in the specific component of the equipment. The "usage environment" mentioned above includes the ambient temperature and radiation dose of the equipment, as well as the characteristics of fluids that come into contact with the equipment (e.g., gas, water vapor, water, pH), and chemical substances that may accelerate corrosion of the equipment (e.g., alkali metals, lanthanides, actinides, transition metals, halogens, chalcogen elements). The "specific component" of the equipment includes, but is not limited to, consumables such as packings, sealing materials, coating materials, bearings, and adsorbents.

[0091] <Effects> According to this embodiment, the processing unit 20 predicts the remaining life of the equipment based on the equipment status information, evaluates the soundness of the equipment based on the remaining life and importance of the equipment, and creates a preventive maintenance plan based on the evaluation results, thereby making it possible to appropriately manage the equipment of the nuclear power plant. Furthermore, when the use conditions of the equipment change due to decommissioning work or the like, the processing unit 20 appropriately changes the class classification determination table 16. This allows the performance and reliability of the equipment to be appropriately evaluated based on the importance of the equipment according to the use conditions of the equipment.

[0092] <<Variations>> Although the device management system M1 and the device management method according to the present disclosure have been described in the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these descriptions and various modifications can be made. For example, in the embodiment, the number of classes for classifying devices is three, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the number of classes may be two, or may be four or more.

[0093] In the embodiment, the case where the facility to be maintained is a nuclear power plant has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the facility to be maintained may be a chemical plant, a manufacturing plant, a water treatment plant, a nuclear research facility, a power transmission and distribution facility, a communication facility, a medical facility, or a railway facility.

[0094] Furthermore, the method used by the equipment importance determination unit 21 to determine the importance of equipment is not limited to that described in the embodiment. For example, the importance of equipment may be determined based on at least one of the predicted radiation dose of workers, the work to be done from the loss of equipment function to recovery, the predicted time required for the work, the degree of impact on operation when the equipment function is lost, and information on the installation environment of the equipment.

[0095] In the embodiment, the device management device 100 (see FIG. 1) is described as having the input unit 30 and the output unit 40, but this is not limiting. That is, the input unit 30 and the output unit 40 may be provided outside the device management device 100. In this case, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet having the functions of the input unit 30 and the output unit 40 may be used.

[0096] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the embodiments with other configurations.

[0097] Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partly or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, etc. may be implemented in software, by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements a predetermined function (for example, a device management method). Information such as the program, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0098] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 10 Storage section 11 System, function, and component correspondence table 12 Maintenance activity extraction information 13 Sensing Extraction Information 14 FMEA Extraction Information 15. Field Data Extraction Information 16 Classification decision table 17 Equipment Monitoring Classification Table 18 Adsorbent Life Evaluation Data 19 Equipment Life Threshold Data 20 Processing section 21 Device importance determination section 22 Equipment Performance Monitoring Department 23 Radiation Assessment Department 24. Soundness Assessment Department 25 Preventive Maintenance Planning Department 26 Corrective Action Division 27 Life Cycle Management Department 30 Input section 40 Output section 50 Communications Department 70 Gate valve (equipment) 100 Equipment management device 200 Database Device 210 Configuration Management Database 220 Conservation Activities and Monitoring Items Database 230 Sensing Database 240 FMEA database 250 field data databases M1 Equipment Management System N1 Network S106 Step (Device performance monitoring process) Steps S107 and S108 (soundness evaluation process) S109 Step (Preventive Maintenance Planning Processing)

Claims

1. an equipment performance monitoring unit that monitors the performance and reliability of equipment included in a predetermined system of the nuclear power plant based on the importance of the equipment and status information of the equipment; a health evaluation unit that predicts a remaining life of the device based on the status information and evaluates the health of the device based on the remaining life and the importance of the device; and a preventive maintenance planning unit that formulates a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power generation facility based on the evaluation results of the health evaluation unit.

2. a device importance determination unit that determines the importance of the device based on information including a combination of the importance of element functions in the system and the necessity of the device for the element functions; The device management system according to claim 1 .

3. The device importance determination unit determining the importance of the device based on the combination, the usage environment of the device, and the operating status of the device; The higher the degree of radiation impact in the operating environment of the equipment, the higher the importance of the equipment is set.

3. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The device importance determination unit determining the importance of the equipment that is the subject of the combination based on the combination and the operating status of other equipment in another system that may affect the operation schedule of the equipment; The more likely it is that an operation schedule of the equipment that is the target of the combination will be affected if an operation of the other equipment is affected, the higher the importance of the equipment is set.

3. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein:

5. the preventive maintenance plan is a plan for decommissioning work of the nuclear power plant, The device importance determination unit determining the importance of the equipment that is the subject of the combination based on the combination, the operating status of other equipment in a different system that may affect the operation schedule of the equipment, and a predicted value of precipitation or snowfall in an area including the nuclear power plant; When precipitation or snowfall in the area causes a disruption to the operation of the other equipment, the higher the possibility that the operation schedule of the equipment that is the subject of the combination will be affected, the higher the importance of the equipment is set.

3. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein:

6. the equipment importance determination unit determines the importance of the equipment that is the subject of the combination based on the combination and inspection records of other equipment in a different system that has a common usage environment and predetermined physical property values ​​with the equipment; The physical property value is at least one of activation energy, electrical insulation, hardness in a hardness test, elongation in a tensile test, wear amount of the specified member relative to the state when the device is new, and components contained in the specified member.

3. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein:

7. a classification determination table in which the combinations are associated with classes indicating the importance of the devices; When the conditions for use of the equipment change due to decommissioning work of the nuclear power plant and the load on the equipment increases, the equipment importance determination unit changes the class classification determination table so as to increase the importance of the equipment.

3. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein:

8. the device is an adsorption tower carrying an adsorbent that adsorbs radioactive materials, When the increase in the amount of contaminated water treated per unit time of the adsorption tower is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the equipment importance determination unit determines that the load on the adsorption tower has increased. The device management system according to claim 7,

9. an equipment performance monitoring process for monitoring the performance and reliability of equipment included in a predetermined system of the nuclear power plant based on the importance of the equipment and status information of the equipment; an equipment health evaluation process for predicting a remaining life of the equipment based on the status information and evaluating the health of the equipment based on the remaining life and the importance of the equipment; and a preventive maintenance planning process for formulating a preventive maintenance plan for the nuclear power plant based on an evaluation result of the equipment health evaluation process.

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