As codes and standards such as BS7910 and R6 are updated, it is important for the power generation and nuclear industries to follow the direction of structural research to encourage the appropriate development of such codes based upon up-to-date knowledge.
With this challenge in mind, the Institution’s upcoming seminar is well timed to discuss the new techniques and innovative research with the potential to reduce safety risks and manage costs. Taking place at the IMechE’s London headquarters on 15 May 2019, the Improving Safety with Advanced Fracture Mechanics seminar aims to do exactly as its name suggests. drawing on the latest findings from engineers in industry together with researchers and academics to provide attendees with best practice for the prediction and modelling of crack growth and initiation..
As one of the speakers taking part, we caught up with Paul Shard, Direct and Principal Engineer at EASL, to hear more about what engineers can expect from the upcoming seminar and his presentation “Use of Risk-Based Defect Assessment Methods To Manage Ageing Nuclear Assets.”
Q: Please can you briefly explain your role and involvement with assets that require advanced fracture mechanics.
I am a Director and Principal Engineer with Engineering Analysis Services Ltd (EASL), an engineering consultancy based in the North-West of England and specialising in structural integrity assessment. We have customers across various industries, but we have developed our expertise over a number of decades working principally in the nuclear industry.
We have a strong relationship with EDF Energy, who own and operated the UK’s current fleet of nuclear power stations. We have worked with them since 2001, providing structural integrity assessment support to ensure continued safe operation of the fleet.
I have a day to day involvement with on-going structural integrity challenges affecting the fleet, managing a team of engineers who provide support to various departments within EDF Energy but principally the Structural Analysis Group. Many of the challenges relate to the need to demonstration defect tolerance with a requirement to carry out fracture assessments using a variety of approaches.
I also represent EASL on the R6 Assessment Panel.
Q: What is the number one challenge for those using or benefitting from technologies related to fracture mechanics in today’s current market?
These days there are a variety of fracture assessment approaches and tools available to structural integrity engineers and they are improving all the time. These range from relatively straight-forward assessment procedures such as the standard assessment routes offered within R6 and BS 7910, to significantly more complex techniques such as cracked body finite element analysis. The more complex techniques can provide highly accurate solutions to complex problems, but at greater cost. I think the number one challenge, one we face daily, is the push for more accurate solutions to complex problems whilst looking to drive down costs.
Q: What is the most exciting development in this field at the moment, either within your company or in the industry in general?
Working on the day to day structural integrity challenges facing the ageing fleet of AGRs is exciting in itself. In terms of developments, the use of cracked body finite element analysis (FEA) is what excites our engineers.
Q: Where do you see the future of fracture mechanics assessments and predictions in the next 5 years?
I think we will continue to see a mix of assessments routes employed based on the need to always provide the most cost effective solution to a problem. But we may see a shift towards the use of the more complex computational methods for the more challenging problems as the associated costs come down.
Q: Please outline what key things that attendees can expect learn from your presentation.
The focus of my presentation is the practitioner point of view, looking at the day to day challenges of providing support to EDF Energy in ensuring continued structural integrity of the current fleet of civil nuclear power stations.
I will look at three main areas:
- An overview of the defect assessment strategy;
- Availability and challenges on materials and input data; and
- Current defect assessment applications and on-going challenges.
Q: What other topics are you looking forward to hearing about and discussing at the upcoming seminar?
I think the range of topics being presented and discussed covers a wide range of issues and, for me personally, they all look very relevant and interesting. I’m particularly interested to hear about methods for avoiding SCC (stress corrosion cracking) in high H2S pipelines and fracture mechanics for pipelines and steel structures.
Q: Why do you feel it is important for all professionals to join this seminar?
The sharing of information, both in terms of the academic development of assessment methods and technologies, and the practical challenges faced day to day by practitioners across different industries, is essential in ensuring fracture mechanics development provides engineers with the right tools to face the variety of structural integrity challenges they will face going forward.
Improving Safety with Advanced Fracture Mechanics takes place on
15 May 2019 at One Birdcage Walk, London
The Improving Safety with Advanced Fracture Mechanics seminar will address the challenges around the industry adoption of new testing methods, bridging the gap between academic innovation and industry application.
Paul Shard will be joined by her peers at University of Cambridge, EDF Energy Nuclear Generation, University of Bristol, TWI, University of Manchester DNV GL and Wood Group.
With less than two months to go, join this seminar in London to hear new methods and techniques that will enable your organisation to more accurately predict cracks and fractures, reduce costs and increase safety.
For full details and to register, visit the event website at www.imeche.org/fracturemechanics