[en] Many research and development programs for fast breeder reactors are in progress by Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation with the cooperation from many establishments in Japan. One of which, Fuel Monitoring Facility, is now under construction next to Joyo at Oarai Engineering Center. The quantity of radioactive materials to be processed will be as much as that of HFEF in US and ADAC in France. Therefore advanced knowhow was required through basic planning, precise designing and construction stages. The specification of FMF building is as follows, (i) structure: reinforced concrete type with four stories and two basements, (ii) building area: 1,920.01m², (iii) floor area: 7,617.72m². The functional features of the facility are as follows; (1) storage of fuel assembly, (2) removing of sodium from fuel assembly, (3) outer view and dimensional inspection, (4) weighing of fuel assembly, (5) dismembering of fuel assembly, (6) weighing of fuel pin, (7) outer view and dimensional inspection of fuel pin, (8) gamma scanning of fuel pin, (9) pacture test of fuel pin, (10) cutting off of fuel pin, (11) dismeating of fuel pin, (12) storage of cut-off pins. These functional sequences are processed in a test cell, and decontaminating cell, clean cell, hot repairing cell and contact-repairing cell are arranged around it. This facility is to be operated with consideration of safe handling of plutonium, maximum radioactivity of 1,000,000 curies and carry-over of sodium contaminating fuel pins. Now final construction is in progress, and reliable operation will be commenced in very near future. (Iwase, T.)

[en] Dr. Mainte, an integrated simulator for maintenance optimization of LWRs (Light Water Reactors) is based on PFM (Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics) analyses. The concept of the simulator is to provide a decision-making system to optimize maintenance activities for typical components and piping systems in nuclear power plants totally and quantitatively in terms of safety, availability, economic rationality, environmental impact and social acceptance. For the further improvement of the safety and availability of nuclear power plants, the effect of human error and its reduction on the optimization of maintenance activities have been studied. In addition, an approach of reducing human error is proposed. (author)

[en] Dr. Mainte, an integrated simulator for maintenance optimization of LWRs (Light Water Reactors) has been developed based on PFM (Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics) analyses. The concept of the simulator is to provide a decision-making system to optimize maintenance activities for representative components and piping systems in nuclear power plants totally and quantitatively in terms of safety, availability and economic efficiency, environmental impact and social acceptance. For the further improvement of the safety and availability, the effect of human error and its reduction on the optimization of plant maintenance activities and approaches of reducing it have been studied. (author)

[en] Dr. Mainte, an integrated simulator for maintenance optimization of LWRs (Light Water Reactors) has been developed based on PFM (Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics) analyses in terms of safety, availability and economic efficiency, environmental impact and social acceptance. For the further improvement of maintenance activities, the importance of reducing human errors is often pointed out. Human errors are well recognized to be affected by mental stress conditions. Due to the amendment of Industrial Safety and Health Law by MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), it is required to conduct stress check surveys every year for companies with more than 50 employees every year. Here an approach of reducing human errors has been studied using Dr. Mainte through the stress check surveys. (author)