Latest news with #MSLP
Perth Now
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Perth Now
‘Destructive': ‘Bomb cyclone' to intensify
'Destructive' winds and rain from a 'bomb cyclone' system are forecast to smash millions of Aussies across the NSW coast – and the conditions are only set to intensify in the coming days. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) have warned that winds will intensify on Wednesday morning for southern Queensland. Sydney's eastern suburbs and coastal fringes, including Illawarra and the south coast, could face significant damage from destructive wind gusts reaching up to 125km/h. The east coast of Australia is set to be smashed by 'destructive' winds and rain. Pictured is the 24-hour rainfall and MSLP forecast to 10am on Wednesday. Supplied / Weatherzone Credit: Supplied Rainfall totals could exceed 200mm by Thursday. BOM Credit: Supplied BOM senior meteorologist Jonathan How said heavy rainfall could occur south of Wollongong, with heavy falls also reaching up to Sydney. Residents could be pelted with up to 120mm of rain over a six-hour period, which could lead to flash flooding, he said. The wild weather lashed NSW on Tuesday. Windy Credit: Supplied The low pressure system will push north on Wednesday and continue lashing the coast with strong winds. Later in the day another low pressure system is expected to appear that will intensify and reinforce the winds and rain across the NSW south coast. Conditions are not expected to ease until late Thursday – by which time rainfall totals in the area south of Wollongong could have exceeded 200mm. Waves along the coast could exceed 6m as they hit the shore. People fight strong winds and rain in the CBD. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia 'With winds set to intensify and heavy rain continuing and the addition of coastal hazards, we could see some dangerous conditions out there over the next few days,' Mr How said. Millions have been told to stay home amid the freak weather event as ferry, bus and train services are impacted or outright cancelled. Dozens of roads have been flooded in areas such as Byron Bay and Jervis Bay, while highways in Sydney have also experienced flash flooding. Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins warned commuters to stay home if they had that option. 'Whether you're travelling by car or catching public transport please allow plenty of extra time to get to your destination,' Mr Collins said. Train services along the T1 North Shore Line were cancelled late on Tuesday due to flooding on the tracks at Town Hall. Around 30,000 people were left without power, including 13,000 in the Newcastle area, due to the storm. Multiple ferry routes have also been cancelled. People who have lose power are likely to continue going without throughout Wednesday. Since the storm started the NSW SES have responded to more than 900 call-out statewide, but the agency warned that incidents are increasing.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Yahoo
Streamlining Outage Efficiency at a Pennsylvania Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear power plant outages demand efficiency, safety, and a high level of coordination to execute time-critical tasks and bring plants back online quickly. When a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant faced excessive critical path time due to outdated steam line plugs and a unique control rod blade transportation and storage requirement, the plant's leadership engaged Preferred Engineering (PE) to support two custom solutions: a more efficient main steam line plug system and a control rod blade rack, specifically designed to meet tight requirements. These tools were essential for supporting the plant's streamlined outage objectives (Figure 1). [caption id="attachment_228800" align="aligncenter" width="739"] 1. Installation team onsite. Courtesy: Preferred Engineering[/caption] The plant's existing main steam line plugs (MSLPs) had become a persistent source of delay, prompting the team to seek out a standard plug solution known for reliability and efficiency. Preferred Engineering's main steam line plugs were selected due to their established use in reducing installation time and improving critical path alignment across the customer's nuclear fleet. The MSLP design provides a passive, dual-seal mechanism, adding an extra layer of protection without requiring constant energy input. The plug's stainless-steel construction and compatibility with varied nozzle geometries proved essential for the plant's maintenance schedule, minimizing the need for additional handling steps and simplifying decontamination procedures. Additionally, the MSLP installation tool allows for rapid deployment from the refueling floor, enabling plant operators to install two plugs in less time and with fewer manual steps. This efficiency directly reduces handling complexity, improves plug reliability, and trims down critical path time—benefits that played out in real time during the plant's recent outage. Control rod blade storage and handling are complex aspects of outage planning. The Pennsylvania nuclear plant had a specific need for a rack that could transport and store 20 control rod blades while adhering to both spatial constraints and seismic standards. It was vital for these blades to be safely stored in a way that prevents accidental damage during outage operations. The timeline for delivery and installation was short, with only eight weeks from design to implementation. Preferred Engineering's team worked closely with plant leadership, conducting a thorough assessment of outage requirements to deliver a fully customized blade rack (Figure 2). This collaboration enabled quick engineering to build the storage solution in the short timeframe, which was then integrated seamlessly into the plant layout. [caption id="attachment_228803" align="aligncenter" width="259"] 2. Installed control rod blade rack. Courtesy: Preferred Engineering[/caption] To meet all safety requirements, the custom rack complied with seismic standards and was easy to maneuver for quick placement. Every aspect of the design, from the tight spatial fit to the material resilience enabled the control rod blades to be handled with confidence and efficiency. Chris Bohn, sales engineer at Preferred Engineering, noted, 'We understand that downtime is a costly part of doing business for a nuclear plant. When a plant is offline for maintenance or refueling, that's revenue lost. So, designing products like these to minimize that downtime is our top priority. By focusing on a tailored blade rack design, we were able to help the plant's team stay on track with their outage plan and maximize their efficiency.' With these solutions implemented, the plant achieved a smoother, faster outage process with reduced critical path time, maximizing overall outage efficiency. Beyond the immediate outage, the standardization of these MSLPs and the custom control rod blade rack are expected to support operational stability in future maintenance cycles. This case study illustrates the impact of specialized, responsive outage solutions, reinforcing the need for tailored tools that support safe, timely, and efficient outage execution. Through collaboration and engineering expertise, Preferred Engineering worked with the plant to provide solutions that allowed them to stay on schedule, minimize critical path challenges, and operate more effectively. —Steven Mitchell is vice president of Preferred Engineering.
