G. FILIMONOV
Joint Stock Company "TVEL", Moscow V. TCHIRKOV
Joint Stock Company "Mashinostroitelny zavod", Electrostal, Moscow Region
Russian Federation Abstract
The paper describes Quality Assurance (QA) monitoring during fabrication of nuclear fuel in Russian Federation. Joint Stock Company "TVEL", natural state monopoly of the type of holding that fabricates and supplies nuclear fuel for the NPPs of Russia, CIS and Europe, incorporates the major enterprises of the nuclear fuel cycle including JSC "Mashinostroitelny zavod", Electrostal (fabrication of fuel pellets, rods and assemblies for different types of reactors), JSC "Novosibirsky zavod khimconcentratov", Novosibirsk (fabrication of fuel rods and assemblies for 440 and WWER-1000), JSC "Tchepetsky mechanitchesky zavod", Tchepetsk (fabrication of Zr tubing). Monitoring of QA is an important element of Quality Management System (QMS) developed and implemented at the above-mentioned enterprises of the JSC "TVEL" and it is performed on three levels including external and internal audits and author's supervision. Paper also describes short- and long-term policies of the JSC "TVEL" in nuclear fuel quality field.
1. Introduction
The Open Joint Stock Company "TVEL" is one of the major enterprises in the nuclear complex of the Ministry of the Russian Federation on Atomic Power, natural state monopoly of the type of holding that fabricates and supply nuclear fuel for the NPPs of Russia, CIS and Europe. The company was set up on 12.09.96 on the basis of the decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 08.02.96 NO 166 "On the optimization of the management of the nuclear fuel enterprises" and Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 11.06.96 N° 677.
In accordance with the law "On using the atomic power", JSC "TVEL" is an operator and it performs the state regulation of the activity of the nuclear fuel cycle enterprises.
The company incorporates the major enterprises of the nuclear fuel cycle: JSC
"Mashinostroitelny zavod", Electrostal (fabrication of fuel pellets, rods and assemblies for different types of reactors), JSC "Novosibirsky zavod khimconcentratov", Novosibirsk (fabrication of fuel rods and assemblies for WWER-440 and WWER-1000), JSC "Tchepetsky mechanitchesky zavod", Tchepetsk (fabrication of Zr tubing). Taking into account the modern requirements of the market and using the experience of leading Western companies engaged in the supply of nuclear fuel, JSC
"TVEL" provides a complete package of services for the customer in the development, fabrication, licensing, delivery and accompanying of nuclear fuel, including the provision of operation guaranties for the reactor cores at NPPs.
To settle this task, JSC "TVEL" got unified with the leading scientific and design centres of Russia into the Association "TVEL - Nauka". JSC "TVEL" finances the scientific and design developments within the complex program "Fuel rods and assemblies of nuclear reactors at NPPs".
The quality assurance (QA) is the most important strategic task of the company. The monitoring of the quality assurance during the nuclear fuel fabrication is an importance element of the quality management in JSC "TVEL". The monitoring diagram is given in Fig. 1.
2. Monitoring purpose and designation
QA monitoring during the nuclear fuel fabrication is used for the estimation of the effectiveness, correctness and development level of the quality systems of the industrial enterprises, design bureaus and scientific - research institutes, cooperating with JSC "TVEL".
On the basis of the information obtained on the results of the monitoring the heads of JSC
"TVEL" get the possibility to:
(1) determine the correspondence of the quality assurance of the nuclear fuel fabrication and scientific-research products to the requirements of the contracts and agreements;
(2) plan and carry out the actions aimed at the correction and development of the quality systems of the enterprises;
(3) plan and carry out the actions and related to the development of the production and scientific-research basis;
(4) plan and achieve the strategic targets in the field of the product quality assurance.
3. Monitoring structure and basis for its performance
Three levels of the monitoring of the quality assurance may be indicated:
(1) data of the Customers' audits and supervising bodies acting in the interest of the Customers;
(2) data of the audits of JSC "TVEL" of the systems and quality assurance programs of the industrial enterprises, design bureaus and scientific - research institutes;
(3) data of the author supervision of , design bureaus and scientific - research institutes of the fabrication of products at the enterprises of JSC "TVEL".
3.1. Level 1
In accordance with the terms and conditions of the contracts between JSC "TVEL" and foreign customers, the latter have the right to perform external audits of the quality systems of the enterprises fabricating nuclear fuel as well as the quality system of design bureaus and scientific -research institutes, if the contract contains the provision of certain scientific and technical services to the customer.
For foreign customers the basic requirements during an audit are:
(1) Contract terms and conditions;
(2) Requirements of the regulating bodies of the customer's country;
(3) Standards ISO series 9001/9002/9003;
(4) Standards NUSS, IAEA.
For the Russian NPPs the basic requirements are:
(1) Contract terms and conditions;
(2) PNAE G-01-28-91 "Rules and norms of the atomic power. Requirements on the quality assurance programs for NPP".
In accordance with the contract terms, JSC "TVEL" transfers to the foreign customers the Quality Manuals, Quality Assurance Programs (QAP) and Programs of Quality Control (PCQ) of the enterprises, the products of which is supplied by JSC "TVEL".
The Control - Acceptance Inspection (KPI) performs the inspection and supervision of the nuclear fuel fabrication, supplied to Russian and a number of foreign NPPs. On the basis of the agreement (Letter N° 32-09/3352 dated 15.10.98), KPI sends periodical reports to JSC "TVEL" on the results of the inspection and supervision.
3.2. Level 2
The external audit of JSC "TVEL" is carried out by the specialists of the QA department, involving the specialists of the enterprises incorporated in JSC "TVEL". When planning the audit, the following data are used:
(1) Customers'audits;
(2) reports on the inspection and supervision of the bodies presenting the interests of the customers;
(3) reports on the author supervision of design bureaus and scientific - research institutes at the enterprises of JSC "TVEL";
(4) previous reports on the audit of JSC "TVEL";
(5) those of the customers on the nuclear fuel quality as delivered and operated.
3.3. Level 3
Design bureaus and scientific - research institutes perform the design of the nuclear fuel and its components as well as the author supervision of the products fabricated under these projects. To perform the author supervision, the factories - manufacturers sign contracts with the respective design bureau or scientific - research institute for the performance of the author supervision.
The basic requirements for the author supervision are:
(1) Contract terms and conditions;
(2) PNAEG-01-28-91;
(3) RD 95-540 (Guiding document. Instruction. Order of development and fabrication of nuclear reactor cores and their components";
(4) OST 95 581 (Branch standard. Order of the transfer of technical documentation to the fabrication. Author supervision).
One of the main requirements of OST 95 581 is the estimation of the stability of the stability of technological processes used for the fabrication of the concrete product.
4. Using the monitoring results
The customers, their representatives, design bureaus and scientific - research institutes, on the basis of the results of their checks, send reports to JSC "TVEL", as it is seen from Fig. 1. The customers also send to JSC "TVEL" their comments and claims on the product quality. On the results of the external audits, the QA department presents its own report to the management. So the recording system related to the monitoring of the quality assurance is formed.
The monitoring results are used for:
the estimation of the current state and of the quality assurance in the fabrication and designing of the nuclear fuel;
correction of the quality systems of the factories - manufacturers and design bodies to reach better level and interaction of the quality assurance system;
strategic planning of the activity in the field of the quality assurance in JSC "TVEL" and its enterprises;
planning and fulfillment of the technical actions activity in the field of the quality assurance;
planning of external audits of JSC "TVEL".
Policy of JSC "MSZ" on the quality field is the good example in the quality assurance.
The policy of JSC "MSZ" in the quality field was finally formulated during the setting up of the QMS on the basis of IS ISO 9000. It became the basis for the QMS creation.
Presently, the long-term purpose of the policy of JSC "MSZ" in the quality field is the fabrication and release of the competitive products meeting all the requirements of the customers at the domestic and foreign markets. The enterprise shall supply to the customer the products of given quality, within set periods, in pre-determined amounts and for acceptable price.