Innovative monitoring helps maintenance of critical components

Imagine having a team of highly skilled mechanics constantly monitoring your car, telling you exactly when to change the oil and replace the spark plugs. Imagine the maintenance savings – you'd never get service you don't need, and you'd always be ahead of problems before they happen.

In a way, this is exactly what OPG’s Monitoring and Diagnostics (M&D) Centre in Pickering does for the company’s nuclear and hydro fleets.

The M&D Centre leverages data analytics and remote continuous online monitoring to do the right maintenance at the right time. Rather than relying on a time-based model to determine when maintenance is required, the M&D Centre closely monitors the critical components of nuclear and hydro stations to determine when it's time to perform maintenance, a process known as Condition Based Maintenance (CBM). Recently, the M&D Centre completed an industry first in the world of CBM.

At Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, the boiler pressure loop calibrations for Units 5 to 8 have been transitioned from a time-based to condition-based maintenance model. Now, wireless sensors and pattern recognition software notify the M&D Centre when calibration is required.

The M&D team is continuing to develop similarly advanced techniques that can be used at both the Pickering and Darlington nuclear stations to improve monitoring and maximize cost-savings, which can then be passed on to Ontarians.

Currently, the M&D Centre is working to improve its operations by collaborating with OPG’s X-Lab innovation division and other vendors. One initiative being explored is new reactor sensor technology with longer lasting battery life that will reduce battery costs and the frequency of sensor maintenance.