NRC Grants Approval to Deploy AMS Technology
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved the implementation of the Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation (AMS) Online Monitoring (OLM) technology at Plant Vogtle Units 1 and 2, which is operated by Southern Company subsidiary Southern Nuclear. The site’s implementation of the OLM technology represents the first use of the AMS Online Monitoring Topical Report AMS-TR-0720R2-A that was approved by the NRC in August 2021.
“I am proud of the efforts to achieve the first deployment of the AMS Online Monitoring technology for the U.S. nuclear fleet,” said Dr. H.M. Hashemian, President of AMS. “It is the culmination of a strong collaborative effort between our team, industry organizations, and government agencies to maintain safety, improve reliability, and increase the cost competitiveness of the U.S. nuclear fleet.”
The OLM technology enables plant operators to shift pressure, level, and flow transmitter calibrations from a time-based surveillance frequency to a condition-based calibration frequency based on OLM results. The operational benefits of implementing the OLM technology can result in a significant reduction in labor required to perform manual calibrations during refueling outages and other associated direct and indirect benefits.
Southern Nuclear has been working with AMS for several years to support the development of OLM technology and make it practical for utilities to implement. The implementation also represents an important milestone for the U.S. Department of Energy, which provided a grant for the development of the OLM Topical Report.
