eB for Nuclear Design Engineering


Overview //

Throughout the nuclear life cycle changes are continually required. The changes can be triggered by different events—from regulation change to deficiencies in nuclear facility operation. Within any industry there is significant business value to why change should be managed, communicated, audited and recorded. In the nuclear industry practitioners have invested considerable time and costs to define guidelines for the proper management of change. The predominant process that manages change in the nuclear industry comes from INPO® AP-929 Rev. 1 guidelines. This process is based on the fundamental concepts and processes of configuration management, and embedded in this revision is the ANSI/NIRMA CM 1.0 standard, a configuration standard for the nuclear industry.

Download button for Nuclear News Callaway Design Engineering Article

eB for Nuclear provides applications that have been jointly developed with customers to meet the guidelines and best practices of industry organizations and guidance from practitioners. eB Nuclear Design Engineering is built upon the INPO AP-929 guideline and supports fleet or plant-wide Configuration Management on facility System, Structures, Components (SSC’s), the fitted equipment assets and their relationships to other enterprise objects. Associated documents are managed according to AP-929 through adequate Identification, Classification, Structure and Control.

For Nuclear facilities, Configuration Management (CM) encompasses all “fit, form, function” data (often referred to as Master Equipment List (MEL) data) for SSCs, as well as structural design, documentation of modifications, control of critical-use plant drawings, operating manuals, maintenance procedures, limits and set-points for systems, vendor manuals, and training materials for replacement staff. An effectively established CM system will provide a cost-effective method of configuration control at any nuclear site. This means less need for operators, planners, engineers, and maintenance personnel to recreate information, and the potential to improve worker safety, reduce costs, increase asset protection and improve compliance with best practice and industry reviews.



INPO is a registered trademark of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. References to INPO and its guidelines do not represent endorsement of Enterprise Informatics' products.

Design Engineering Management and Cable/Raceway Management

 Automate critical business processes throughout the nuclear life cycle.

Nuclear Application Suite - Training - Compliance - Design Engineering - Information Management - Performance Management - Knowledge Management Training Compliance Information Management Performance Improvement Knowledge Management Design Engineering

See how eB?s Nuclear Design Engineering Application can be used to automate engineering design change processes in accordance with INPO AP-929

Business Values

"With eB we’ve been able to improve the rigor of our engineering design change process in accordance with INPO® AP-929 and can ensure that we are compliant with our licensed design basis requirements."

— Janice Hoerber, IT supervisor, AmerenUE/Callaway Plant

eB Nuclear Design Engineering is used by engineering organizations to manage change and modifications to the nuclear facility while complying with design standards and licensing commitments. Facilities using eB improve integrity of information, enable proper assessment and impact of change, steamline auditing of all affected objects, and increase visibility to the current status of all entities in the nuclear facility at anytime. These process improvements lower cost of plant operations through worker efficiency and minimize costly rework, increase ratings during industry reviews and capture knowledge that can be reused by knowledge workers. eB Nuclear Design Engineering offers these additional benefits:

  • Single facility-wide change control system—Changes may vary from items and components to documents and even processes and plant programs
  • Quality of data is maintained during the complete data life cycle
  • Visibility to similar motivated initiatives to provide a single access point for Structure, System and Component (SSC) research
  • Support for history of change and effect for all hosted SSC’s and documents
  • Contextual mapping methodology to build relationships between SSC’s data and “what” they are about, e.g. requirements, projects, functions and processes
  • Visibility of current business processes for improvement of productivity efficiencies
  • Integration with other line of business systems, including Performance Improvement, Work Management, EQ Programs and Equipment Reliability applications
  • Exposure to business intelligence information in a facility dashboard, which is customizable by users of the system
  • Standardized change and configuration control
  • Central point for component registration, to ensure unique and standardized component identification for all components
  • Status and location accounting, i.e. where is it now and is it maintainable, scrapped, etc.
  • Support for segmented data ownership, e.g. Engineering may own as-built configuration data, while other departments will own as-maintained data
  • Supports for the management of functional equipment groups so they are visible, managed and appear integral to the data structures presented in the system
  • Intelligent component breakdown structures provide information on where items are used, where they are located, etc.for example system, classification and location structures shown as trees
  • Management of information on product equivalents, manufacturers, recent change history, etc.
  • Management of equivalent manufacturer/model and serial number information can be configured, rather than carried as auxiliary data, allowing the information to have context and meaning, and thus ensure its continued accuracy

Next Tab: Applications

Applications

"eB’s greatest strength is its ability to identify all other required changes when a change is initiated. It’s the only application available today that fully meets the requirements of ANSI/NIRMA CM1.0 and allows nuclear organizations to easily conform to the processes recommended by INPO® AP-929 and AP-907."

— Michael D. Stout, Founder & Former Chairman, CMBG

eB requirements modeling, classification and relationships

eB’s predefined, ready-to-use information objects provide a rich model for classifying information and establishing relationships between relevant enterprise objects, ensuring the integrity of controlled information by uniquely managing its connectivity to all other relevant information. Design Basis management intensive processes, like linking ‘as-built’ facility configuration MEL data to licensing and other regulatory requirements can be streamlined through these features.

eB Controlled Documents and Records Management

eB creates a rich environment for collaboration, ensuring the integrity and visibility of information. It effectively, efficiently, and accurately captures, manages, controls, retrieves, distributes, and archives all document format types across the enterprise. Structured and unstructured data can be managed across multiple locations throughout the enterprise and the lifecycle of the documents and records.

Comprehensive access controls restrict access to information using various security mechanisms. Responsibility-based access control may also be applied where required, for example, allowing only Engineering access to Design Basis information, ensuring that enterprise information is available only to authorized personnel.

eB Facility Design Engineering and Modification Management Application

This user interface exposes all eB functions needed by facility engineering groups to manage their Master Equipment List (MEL) data while having access to define relationships with enterprise objects defined in other eB for Nuclear applications.

In support of the NEI Nuclear Performance Model and according to the INPO AP' guidelines, eB Design Engineering application exposes the following functions:

  • Work Exchange folders for task receipt
  • Hierarchical SSC Classification navigator for rapid access to SSC's by type
  • Hierarchical facility configuration navigators from Unit to Systems to SSC's to fitted Equipment (catalog items)
  • Manufacturer (Vendor) navigator with supplied items and where used' view
  • Location (geographical) navigators
  • SSC's data views showing current plant configuration – fitted equipment down to serial item level, as required
  • Grouped SSC characteristics with different modify' security and access
  • Access from SSC's to all related Enterprise objects, especially controlled documents
  • Powerful Object search capability and drag & drop for relationship definition
  • Graphical view or termination and drop points for cables
  • Built-in Cable Raceway routing and loading calculations
  • Lubrication data
  • Configurable object and workflow templates for adding new Documents, SSC's, Work Orders, Change Requests and Equipment
  • Multiple templates for Modification package preparation by type
  • Change process in accordance with AP-929
  • Creation of prototype' SSC's for incorporation after implementation
  • SSC object delta' comparison reports
  • Baseline management

eB's fully configurable built-in workflow capability allows automation of all actions on MEL and related eB object data. Pre-defined workflow templates ensure consistency and conformance to site-specific process needs to improve business overall process efficiencies.

eB Nuclear Design Engineering Cable/Raceway Management application

eB Nuclear Cable Manager is a proven state-of-the-art electrical engineering module used to track, analyze, and quantify all nuclear and fossil fuel facility electrical components.

Features:

  • Oracle 10g and MS SQL Server Database Manager
  • Installed at Existing US Nuclear Facilities
  • User Access based on extensive security model
  • Menu Driven and intuitive - Minimal User Training
  • On-Line Help Screens
  • Historical Database via component/document revisions as well as component snapshots, which produces a baseline used for quality records.
  • Web based Reports; fully extensible

Next Tab: Technology

Technology

Built upon an advanced Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), eB uses the latest Microsoft technologies. Developed with the same technologies as SharePoint, eB embraces Microsoft's .NET framework to form the foundation of its application server tier, web services and user interfaces. This architecture allows eB to easily be integrated to other business critical applications.

eB is compatible with Windows 7 and certified for Windows Server 2008. Enterprise Informatics is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

The eB architecture is proven to be enterprise scalable and highly reliable, and offers the flexibility to adapt to the unique business requirements of a diverse customer base. eB is a highly effective solution for building bridges between SharePoint sites across the enterprise (eB for SharePoint) and other information repositories that are required to realize an effective EIM strategy.

eB for Enterprise is certified by the Institute of Configuration Management (ICM) as a four star Configuration Management software platform.

For more information visit the Technology page.

Next Tab: Resources

Resources

eB for Nuclear Solution Brief

eB for Nuclear offers an integrated suite of applications, including Information Management, Design Engineering, Compliance, Knowledge Management, Performance Improvement and Training, that effectively manages information across the lifecycle of nuclear facilities. Download

Nuclear Information Life Cycle Solution Brief

eB for Nuclear identifies, connects, and manages information throughout the life cycle of a nuclear facility: permitting and licensing; design and construction, commissioning; ongoing operations and maintenance; all the way through eventual decommissioning. Download

White Paper: Striving to Maintain the Nuclear Design Basis — What you need in an electronic design engineering solution

This white paper examines the nuclear design engineering change process, the industry regulations that must be complied with when making design modifications, and the capabilities required of a fully automated electronic design engineering solution in order to streamline the process. Download

AmerenUE: Callaway Nuclear Plant Case Study

A case study of how an organization under strict regulatory requirements manages and controls massive quantities of interdependent information while reducing the cost of compliance, limiting business risk, and optimizing process efficiency. Callaway's use of eB for Nuclear has significantly improved INPO® ratings. Download

Webinar: eB Nuclear Design Engineering

Using eB’s Nuclear Design Engineering Application to automate engineering design change processes in accordance with INPO® AP-929. Download

Nuclear Knowledge Management White Paper

Solving the Brain Drain of the Nuclear Industry: How to capture and manage your company’s institutional knowledge for immediate action. As the Nuclear renaissance is taking shape, more and more organizations realize that the knowledge and skills being lost due to baby boomer retirements are threatening the bottom line by compromising the safety and efficiency of plant operations. Download

Further information is also available by following these links:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)

The following standards and guidelines are used as a guideline to ensure that these requirements are satisfied by the implementation of appropriate data and document management processes:

  • INPO AP-929 – Configuration Control Process Description
  • INPO AP-913 - Equipment Reliability and the Relationship to a Nuclear Industry Guideline
  • ANSI/NIRMA CM 1.0 – 2000 – Guidelines for Configuration Management of Nuclear Facilities
  • NEI AP-907 – Information Management Process Description and Guidelines
  • DOE-STD-1073-2003 – DOE Standard for Configuration Management
  • CFR Part 54 (Safety) and 10 CFR Part 51 (Environmental)
  • GL 88-18 – Plant Record Storage on Optical Disks
  • RIS 2000 - Guidance on Managing Quality Assurance Records in Electronic Media

Next Tab: Customers

Customers

Energy Industry Icon   Energy Customers // Nuclear Design Engineering


AmerenUE (Callaway Plant)

Uses eB to manage their complete Design Basis requirements consisting of the licensing documents and Master Equipment List (MEL).

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Station

Uses eB to manage their complete Design Basis requirements and Master Equipment List (MEL).

Constellation Energy (Calvert Cliffs 1 & 2, Ginna, Nine Mile Point 1&2)

Uses eB to manage their complete Design Basis requirements consisting of the licensing documents and Master Equipment List (MEL).

Nuclear Fuel Services

Uses eB to manage their complete Design Basis requirements consisting of the licensing documents and Master Equipment List (MEL).

For more information about our customers and our nuclear products, visit the Download Center.

First Tab: Business Values