Enhanced and miniaturized wireless valve position indication prototype for nuclear power plants

Most operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the United States have received approval to extend their operating licenses to 60 years. Now the nuclear industry is preparing to extend operating licenses to 80 years. While NPPs are preparing for extensions (60 years and beyond), the nuclear industry is facing a unique economic sustainability challenge in the current energy market. This is partly because the domestic nuclear industry is dependent on a high number of skilled workers to perform operation and maintenance activities. This labor-centric business model is cost prohibitive and results in high operations and maintenance costs. One of the activities performed by skilled workers in a NPP on a regular basis is manual concurrent or independent verification of manual valve position. This activity presents human error opportunities, operational and safety challenges, and regulatory compliance impacts, in addition to high labor costs. To address these concerns, a wireless valve position indication sensor technology is developed and matured by Idaho National Laboratory. In this paper, advancements achieved in the design, development, testing, and demonstration of a prototype wireless valve position indication sensor system are presented. The paper presents the electromagnetic interference evaluation of the prototype; design and development of three-dimensional (3-D) adjustable and reconfigurable universal sensor mounting units; improved quality-of-service and reliability of wireless communication; and demonstration of the technology on an experimental flow-loop fitted with nine manual valves for different valve configurations.