KCI has a large staff of engineers with extensive experience in the specialty area of Environmental Qualification (EQ).  KCI has served on the IEEE 323 sub-committee on Equipment Qualification, designed and led qualification test series, re-evaluated qualification for modified requirements of power uprate and license renewal projects, and interfaced with NRC inspectors on behalf of our clients.  KCI has the experience and insight for creative solutions to Environmental Qualification challenges, such as material testing and thermal lag analysis. In addition, KCI is an expert in performing seismic qualification (SQ) studies.

KCI offers our proprietary engineered software called EQPro, designed for efficient and user-friendly management of data and technical evaluations that support the Environmental Qualification program.  This software provides a cost-effective way to generate and maintain EQ documentation in compliance with the regulatory requirements.  Its designers are EQ engineers who understand both the technical requirements of EQ and time demands on the plant’s EQ Engineers.  EQPro has been successfully implemented by several US nuclear plants.

KCI also utilizes industry software packages for the analysis and calculations for Environmental Qualification, including EPRI’s Equipment Qualification Management System (EQMS) for the production of Generic Qualification Evaluations (GQEs) and Plant Qualification Evaluations (PQEs).

EQPro is an engineered software product that electronically administers environmental qualification (EQ) data while providing an efficient means for information access, retrieval, and updates. It includes automated functions that perform EQ calculations for qualified life and post-accident operability.

Advantages of EQPro

• EQPro automatically displays the environmental parameters (temperature, pressure, radiation, relative humidity, etc.) for relevant zones.  Eliminates the need to manually list input data.
• EQPro provides hyperlinks that immediately open test reports and other reference documents, each presented in a word-searchable file.  Enhances the ability to quickly research information within reference documents.
• EQPro provides computer-generated calculations for Arrhenius analysis (thermal life, post-accident operating time) and margin. Improves accuracy and procedural compliance.
• EQPro generates a completed EQ Binder under the Utility’s QA Program, unlike other engineered software where the output is used to support the calculation.  Saves time and money for documentation.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The efficient use of human resources is an important means of cost control.  Safety and regulatory compliance remain imperative.  Cost-benefit to be gained by EQPro implementation is:

Net Reduction with EQPro based Program is 0.5 FTE