Ingénierie nucléaire : le Management de l’obsolescence
Nuclear power plants are designed to operate for a much longer period than is the case for many other industries; this puts a great deal of emphasis on managing obsolescence of the plant’s component systems. But, obsolescence management is more than just providing a spares inventory, it must also allow the continuation of safe operation of the nuclear power plant, without unplanned shutdowns.
As technology continues to develop at a fast pace, individual product lifetimes are often considerably shorter than that of the application environment. This disparity increases the need for a strategic approach.
As a guest contribution to Nuclear Engineering International, Altran Praxis’ Paul Heywood advocates the need for an early planning phase termed ‘Design for Replacement” in an article available in the May 2011 issue.