EDF Energy (EDF) is one of the largest energy suppliers in Europe and is responsible for the management and safe operation of some of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe, including those operating in Hinkley Point and Dungeness, UK. Any initiative which aims to proactively maintain the equipment and reduce any risk of breakdown or rupture, is a key.
The Weir Flow Control service team started by identifying key AOV’s commonly referred to across the fleet as Single Point Vulnerability (SPV’s), these valves were permanently fitted with test points to enable portable diagnostic equipment to be connected without having to repeatedly break and remake pipe connections. During a planned outage, baseline measurements were taken for each valve. This form of valve profiling allowed the teams to establish if there had been any deterioration or change over time when each valve was retested and analysed.
This form of testing proved to be very valuable as the set up insured EDF suffered no operational impact and allowed service teams to constantly measure the fitness of key machinery and identify previously unrevealed faults, enabling action to be taken, only when required.
