Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation (AMS) was recognized for their shared efforts as Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC) received a Top Innovative Practice (TIP) award from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). The nuclear industry’s most prestigious honor, TIP awards are bestowed upon a select few utilities annually that have successfully implemented innovative techniques, new practices, and improved technology in their daily operations.AMS President Dr. H.M. “Hash” Hashemian stated that, “Under the leadership of our Senior Engineering Manager Brent Shumaker and Marketing Manager Ryan O’Hagan, AMS worked closely with SNC in the successful implementation of on-line monitoring (OLM) technology at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Georgia.” OLM is made of a set of advanced data acquisition and data analysis algorithms and machine learning procedures to replace manual maintenance activities with condition-based maintenance.
To be considered for a TIP award, a new technology to be implemented in a nuclear plant must lead to improvements in plant operations, maintenance, communications and outreach, or innovative business practices. This OLM implementation is the first of a kind to be used within the United States. Per Dr. Hashemian, although OLM technology has been developed mostly in the United States it was first implemented at the Sizewell B nuclear power plant near London, England. AMS performed the OLM implementation at Sizewell B, saving the utility as much as $5 million per each operating cycle of 18 months.
