MTA-WM-002

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Administrative Items
Date	12/14/2021
Functional Area Where Benefits Will Be Realized	Work Management Nuclear Fuels Records Management
Reference Implementation Guidance	2020 NEI TIP Awards – Submittal 59 (ID: 13325413)
Industry SME	EPRI – Fuels Contact: NuclearPlantMod@epri.com
Previous Implementation	This improvement has been implemented at several nuclear plants. Please contact the EPRI SME for additional information.
Implementation Enablers	Wi‑Fi or connection to a wired network for data transfer on the refuel floor. Wi‑Fi enabler guidance includes: MTA-MA-003 - Implement Wireless Network Infrastructure Using a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) MTA-MA-004 – Implement a Wireless Network Infrastructure Using Wi‑Fi
Applicability	All reactor types All geographic regions
Keywords	DFMS, digital fuel move sheet, fuel and core components, work management, fuel move, move sheets, human performance tools, HU tools
Business Case Analysis Cross-Reference	N/A

Description

Fuel and Core Component Move Sheets are official records used by fuel handlers, supervisors, and operators to conduct and document the movement of nuclear fuel and non‑fuel core components. For Special Nuclear Material reporting purposes, fuel move information has been historically transcribed from paper move sheets to the site’s tracking database. Traditional pen‑to‑paper move sheets can become contaminated on the refuel floor, are inefficient to revise, and present opportunities for human error such as move sheets containing inaccurate or missing information and legibility issues. The transition from paper‑based to DFMS streamlines the movement guidance process; a process which can be performed thousands of times annually for a generating unit. DFMS electronically document procedural step completion on an electronic tablet device. DFMS increase productivity and efficiency of the fuel moves thereby decreasing move time, potentially on critical path, and overall dose to staff as well as improve the accuracy and timeliness of reporting by reducing the administrative transcription burden.

Benefits

Benefits Estimate

Level 1 – Savings are less than $1 million per year per unit. For units with the refuel floor on critical path, estimated savings are ≥ $50,000 per refueling outage. Savings are largely driven by increased generation, dose reduction and decreased staff labor.

Benefits Description

• Reduction in refuel outage duration by improving efficiency of the critical path move sheet revision process.
• Reduction in dose to staff by saving time spent on the fuel move process.
• Reduction in human performance delays associated with lost, illegible, incomplete, or inaccurate move sheets.
• Improvement in timeliness and quality of reporting by reducing administrative transcription burden and incorporating electronic documentation.
• Reductions in refuel floor distractions and dose to the outage coordinator by having a live‑time fuel move sheet available in the control room and therefore minimizing in‑person checks on fuel movement status.
• Improvement in metrics with live‑time monitoring and observation of progress.
• Reduction in waste disposal costs associated with contaminated dry active waste.
• Reduction in material costs associated with printing and compiling move sheets.

Costs and Schedule

Cost

Level 3 – Implementation cost is less than $1 million. Estimated implementation costs are on the magnitude of $100,000 per unit and less on a fleet‑wide basis. Ongoing costs are expected to be much lower annually.

Schedule

Six months to one year.

Scope Context

Per unit. Initial implementation costs include the non‑safety‑related software (design, process, integration, and initial training), procedure updates, and tablet device procurement for field use. Approximately 5‑10 devices are used for a single unit. Ongoing costs are driven by software maintenance and technical support and can vary by year based on desired enhancements. DFMS software and ongoing software updates can be used across a multi‑unit site or fleet. Therefore, implementing DFMS across multiple units is expected to decrease the per‑unit implementation cost and associated payback period.

Risks

• IT risks such as cybersecurity and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) are associated with integrating the DFMS devices with the existing plant network.
  • Cybersecurity: The system must be properly segmented and implemented to avoid an increase in vulnerability to cybersecurity threats. Following appropriate utility practices to satisfy the U.S. NRC cybersecurity requirements will mitigate this risk.
  • EMC: EMC must be considered to ensure that wireless signals do not adversely affect nearby equipment. Following the EPRI and U.S. NRC EMC guidance for equipment EMC qualification and maintaining a minimum separation distance, if required, will mitigate this risk.
• If the device loses network connection during the move process, the DFMS will be unavailable for use and could cause schedule delays. Maintaining a plant network connection and operable equipment in the high humidity environment present on the refueling bridge may present a challenge. Printing a backup move sheet to use if network connection becomes unavailable will mitigate this risk.

SWEEP Score

Category	Level	Description
Cost	3	Implementation cost is less than $1 million. Estimated implementation cost is approximately $100,000 for a single unit and less on a fleet‑wide basis. Estimated ongoing costs are much lower annually.
Savings	1	Savings are less than $1 million per year per unit. Estimated savings for a single unit with the refuel floor on critical path are ≥ $50,000 per refueling outage.
Payback	2	Payback period is greater than one year but less than five years. Estimated payback is 2 years for a single unit.
Technical Readiness	3	This technology has already been implemented at a nuclear site.
Licensing Readiness	3	No changes are required for implementation.
Implementation Proficiency	3	The technology can be implemented by all sites, regardless of digital experience.