EASIT2

Harmonisation of Codes & Standards in the Nuclear Industry – Webinar Recording now Available

David Quinn (NAFEMS) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:34:27 +0000

On March 5th 2012, EASIT2, in conjunction with NAFEMS, held a live webinar on the Harmonisation of Codes & Standards in the Nuclear Industry. You can now view the recording of the webinar for free by clicking here (registration required).

After more than 50 years of development, the civil nuclear power industry is now ready for standardised reactor designs which will enable the reactor designs from one country to be built in another country. Such standardisation will help nuclear power to contribute to the clean energy needs and lead to safer and more reliable use of nuclear power around the world. One of the areas where the nuclear industry has taken initiative is to harmonise industry codes and standards. This presentation describes the first pilot project being run by an International Task Force set up by the World Nuclear Association under their Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL) group to harmonisation codes and standards.

View the recording here

Competency Framework Beta Version Launched

jo — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:08:13 +0000

The Beta version of the Competency Framework has been launched and currently being reviewed.

Further details relating to the purpose and content of the Competency Framework can be found here http://www.easit2.eu/?page_id=8

Second Webinar in the EASIT2 Series – Register Now!

jo — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:05:43 +0000

Harmonisation of Design Codes and Standards in Nuclear Industry by Professor Nawal Prinja on 5th March 2012

Overview

The first step towards harmonisation of pressure boundary codes and standards has been completed by the Code Comparison Project which has been managed by the ASME Standards Technology LLC. Six Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) namely ASME (USA), AFCEN(France), KEA (Korea), JSME (Japan), NIKIET (Russia) and CSA (Canada) had participated in the project. The scope of the code comparison project was restricted to Class 1 components only including pressure vessels, piping, valves and pumps. The objective was to identify the significant differences that would have an impact on designing and manufacturing a component in one country and using it in another country. The code comparison project has highlighted various reasons which have resulted in the differences in national codes and standards. It is recognised that all differences cannot be resolved but some progress towards convergence and mutual recognition could be achieved in the short- to medium-term. Therefore, as a start, the proposed Pilot Project will be focused on design codes and standards only in the two areas – technical design and personnel qualifications. It should be clarified that the need to harmonise does not imply non-compliance but should be considered as achieving equivalent status in other countries.

There are two basic approaches to the design of engineering components and structures: design by rule and design by analysis. In the design by rule approach, rules and limitations set by a design standard are adhered to. The design by analysis approach requires either analytical or computational effort to predict stress levels and this is where computational techniques like the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is increasingly being used in the industry. The commercially available FEA software packages are already harmonised as they are based on common mathematical principles, however, their application in design is not. The methodology and nomenclature of design codes are different from those used in numerical techniques like the FEA. Since an FEA can produce a lot of detailed stress information, it is important to appreciate the importance of various classes of stresses and their respective limits. Before finalising the design, an analyst has to demonstrate that the structural design meets the requirements set down in the design code agreed between the supplier and the buyer. He or she has to assess the data from the finite element analysis in accordance with the rules set in the design code. Such design assessments not only require analysis expertise but also good knowledge of the design rules and their interpretation.

Harmonisation of allowable stress limits is the most important aspect as they influence the methodology used to justify the design, furthermore, these stress limits which are imposed to prevent certain failure modes must be based on common scientific principles. With advanced analysis and structural reliability methods it should be possible to have common technical rules and avoid any inconsistencies in the codes and standards. It is proposed to focus on the harmonisation of allowable stress limits for this pilot project.

Further details regarding the webinar can be found at http://www.nafems.org/events/nafems/2012/harmonisation/.

Registration for FREE here

Educational Base Evaluation is Now Underway

jo — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:07:25 +0000

The evaluation process for the Educational Base is currently underway, and we will share the results of this process in the next few months. A summary of the Educational Base can be viewed here http://www.easit2.eu/?page_id=6

EASIT2 Project Showcased in New Delhi

jo — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:13:28 +0000

The 21st Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology conference was held on 6-11 November 2011, in New Delhi, India. It was dedicated to the Art, Science and Practice of the Structural Mechanics. The conference covered all the technical and professional practice issues. It focussed on the need of and the contemporary issues affecting the Structural Mechanics profession worldwide and highlighted the profession’s interface with the impact on society by improvement of the public image, standing & credibility of nuclear technology in general and structural mechanics in particular. The very best and the brightest in the world of structural mechanics were brought together in New Delhi, to meet and discuss the momentous issues in the profession. 600 delegates from around the world attended this exciting conference.

Dr Jim Wood wrote a paper entitled ‘The Development of a Competence Framework for Engineering Analysis and Simulation’ and Pfofessor Nawal Prinja presented the paper during the conference. SMiRT21 – 21st International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology

First EASIT2 Webinar Available to View

David Quinn (NAFEMS) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:16:00 +0000

The first webinar run by EASIT2, Key Challenges for Simulation/Analysis in the Aero Industry: The Growing Importance of Competence Management is now available to view online by clicking the link here and registering your details. The webinar, hosting presentations by Jim Wood and Jean-Francois Imbert, was a great success and was well received by all who attended.

View the webinar by registering your details here.

Article Placed in EnginSoft Autumn 2011 Newsletter

jo — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:09:34 +0000

An article was written and placed in the EnginSoft autumn 2011 newsletter.

To download a pdf copy of the article, please visit: http://www.enginsoft.com/newsletter/2011_3/index.html

First Webinar in the EASIT2 Series Announced

jo — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:49:52 +0000

Key Challenges for Simulation/Analysis in the Aero Industry: The Growing Importance of Competence Management by Jean Francois Imbert on 28th October 2011

Overview

From the FEA infancy in the 1960’s, Simulation and Analysis industrial relevance and recognition has continuously grown, especially in the aerospace sector. In the last two decades, engineering practice has been progressively moving from a test and experience based design to simulation-based design. Indeed, an efficient integration of simulation in the product design and development is bringing a clear competitive advantage with the following potential business benefits :

Lead time reduction
Improved and earlier performance optimization
Development cost reduction (e.g. on physical testing) or cost avoidance
First time right design (e.g. no costly late redesigns)….

However there is a considerable challenge to fully cash these benefits in the present context of globalization and massive technological innovation. Among key success factors is the implementation of Competence Management, a mandatory condition to ensure robust simulation processes in the whole supply chain.

The presentation identifies key challenges and trends in the aero industry. It highlights the growing importance of simulation management in the context of an increasing role of simulation in the aircraft design and certification. Finally competence management needs in the aero sector are presented.

Further details and registration is available on the NAFEMS website at http://www.nafems.org/events/nafems/2011/aerochallenge/.

Industry Needs Survey Report Now Available

jo — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:33:05 +0000

As part of the EASIT2 project, an Industry Needs Survery was carried out, the results of which are now available here.

Full Industry Needs Survey Report Available Soon

jo — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:16:41 +0000

A comprehensive Industry Needs Survey Report is currently being finalised and will be available for view very soon.

Keep watching the website for further details.

A summary article was published in the April edition of the NAFEMS benchmark magazine – click the image to download.

April11BenchmarkArticle