The CADAK (Cable Ageing Data And Knowledge) project will follow-up the cable ageing part of the SCAP project. CADAK aims to establish the technical basis for assessing the qualified life of electrical cables in light of the uncertainties identified following the initial (early) qualification testing. This research will investigate the adequacy of the margins and their ability to address the uncertainties. As result of the first CADAK expert meeting the following objectives with four main topics has been drafted:
1. Completion and Maintenance
The content (executive summary) of the final SCAP report, the corresponding IAEA report on cable ageing, as well as the NUREG/CR-7000 should be transferred to the different parts of the Data and Knowledge Base.
For a number of member countries cable data and information needs to be edited into the system e.g. technical standards being applied in the qualification of cables and inspection methods being used regularly. The SCAP Cable Working Group has created an encyclopaedia on cables useful for both novice and experienced NPP regulators and operators which will be used for this project.
2. Performance Monitoring Methods
For cable ageing, the crucial point is the knowledge about the qualification procedure for harsh environments and the predictive capability to estimate the remaining qualified lifetime. The cable condition-monitoring techniques shared by the participants within SCAP have become an up-to-date encyclopaedic source to monitor and predict the performance of every unique application of cables.
Research activities are going on in different countries to improve these methods. An extensive info exchange will be beneficial in this technical area. Further on some of the national research activities may be used for international benchmark activities.
3. Commendable Practices
Information supporting Ageing Management Programmes (AMPs) is of vital importance given that ageing management is an essential and important aspect to be taken into consideration in connection with safe long-term operation (LTO). The use of the accumulated knowledge specifically in the area of Equipment Qualification (EQ) and Condition Monitoring can form the basis for commendable practice documents – like a CSNI Technical Opinion Paper - being generated as part of the CADAK project. Such documents will help regulators and operators to enhance ageing management.
4. Extension to other Technical Items
The SCAP project has yielded crucial knowledge in the area of cable ageing related to qualification procedure for harsh environments, as well as assessing cable degradation. This expertise could also be used to include other technical equipment like cable penetration, pressure/level transmitters, etc., that have common elements with many countries to the Data and Knowledge Base.
