OPDE—TheinternationalpipefailuredataexchangeprojectOriginalResearchArticle

CertainmembercountriesoftheOrganizationforEconomicCooperationanddevelopment(OECD)in2002establishedtheOECDpipefailuredataexchangeproject(OPDE)toproduceaninternationaldatabaseonthepipingserviceexperienceapplicabletocommercialnuclearpowerplants.OPDEisoperatedundertheumbrellaoftheOECDNuclearEnergyAgency(NEA).TheProjectcollectspipefailuredataincludingservice-inducedwallthinning,partthrough-wallcrack,pinholeleak,leak,andrupture/severance(i.e.,eventsinvolvinglargethrough-wallflowratesuptoandbeyondthemake-upcapacityofengineeredsafeguardssystems).Thepartthrough-walleventsincludedegradationinexcessofdesigncodeallowableforpipewallthinningorcrackdepth.OPDEalsoaddressessuchdegradationthatcouldhavegenericimplicationsregardingthereliabilityofin-serviceinspection. CurrentlytheOPDEdatabaseincludesapproximately3,700recordsonpipefailureaffectingASMECodeClass1through3andnon-safety-related(non-Code)piping.ThispaperpresentsthemotivationsandobjectivesbehindtheestablishmentoftheOPDEproject.Thepaperalsosummarizestheuniquedataqualityconsiderationsthatareassociatedwiththereportingandrecordingofpipingcomponentdegradationandfailure.Anoverviewofthedatabasecontentisincludedtoplaceitinperspectiverelativetopasteffortstosystematicallycollectandevaluateserviceexperiencedataonpipingperformance.Finally,abriefsummaryisgivenofcurrentdatabaseapplicationstudies.