Diagnostics and prognostics tools for assessing remaining useful life of nuclear power plant materials

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in expanding the use of nuclear power to provide sustainable, carbon-free energy. As part of these activities in the USA, there are major initiatives focused on "life extension" for existing light-water nuclear power reactors (LWR) from 60 to 80 (or 100) years. A central issue in life extension for the current fleet of LWRs is the early detection and monitoring of materials degradation. A related issue is the ability to estimate remaining useful life (RUL) of components and systems based on condition assessment or degradation information. For early detection of degradation, novel nondestructive (i.e., without destroying the utility of the specimen) tests that are suitable for continuous monitoring over extended time periods are needed, as are new techniques for data integration. This paper discusses the development and application of advanced diagnostics and prognostics tools to the LWR life extension problem.