A methodology for the prioritization of operating experience in nuclear power plants

The processing of operating experience at nuclear power plants is criticall y important to safe and reliable operations because it represents the proce ss by which important external information is incorporated into the organiz ation. Nuclear power plants typically receive between 800 and 1000 pieces o f operating experience every year, of which 70-80 meet the criteria for a m ore extensive review. This paper deals with the prioritization of these ite ms. Specifically, a prioritization methodology utilizing multiattribute uti lity theory has been developed. What sets this methodology apart from other techniques employing multiattribute methods is its emphasis on deliberatio ns to achieve consensus among objectives and preferences among those object ives. Along with an explanation of this methodology, the results of its app lication to the prioritization of operating experience at a nuclear power p lant are presented. Lastly, the results of a workshop that was held at MIT are presented. The workshop demonstrated the feasibility of the prioritizat ion methodology and the validity of the case study results. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.