Integrated software tool automates MOV diagnosis

This article reports that researchers at the University of Tennessee have developed digital signal processing software that takes the guesswork out of motor current signature analysis (MCSA). The federal testing regulations for motor-operated valves (MOV) used in nuclear power plants have recently come under critical scrutiny by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). New ASME testing specifications mandate that all valves performing a safety function are to be tested -- not just ASME Code 1, 2 and 3 valves. The NRC will likely endorse the ASME regulations in the near future. Because of these changes, several utility companies have voluntarily expanded the scope of their in-service testing programs for MOVs, in spite of the additional expense.