Discussion on application of reliability-centered maintenance to reliability improvement in new nuclear power plants

Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is an important systematic approach applied to the development and optimization of maintenance strategies in many nuclear power plants (NPPs) which being in operation around the world. Its relevant technical concepts and methodologies also provide a good reference to the design, construction, and production preparation of new NPPs. Within a discussion on the introduction and application of RCM in NPPs under construction, this paper mainly expounded applications of RCM methodology in the design review, procurement requirement validation, disposal of left problems over by engineering, and other technical aspects to improve the reliability of systems and equipments in new NPPs. According to analysis and feedback of some typical actual cases, RCM technology was demonstrated to be feasible and valuable in reliability improvement in new NPPs.