Advent, a Tetra Tech Company (previously Advent Engineering Services, Inc) , Ann Arbor, MI

Performs consulting and related technical services for the nuclear industry in the areas of licensing, analysis, regulatory programs, design, and project management.  While on-loan to Xcel Energy, was Interim Electrical / I&C Systems Engineering Supervisor at Prairie Island and a member of the team that prepared the site for its CDBI inspection.  Assisted the site in responding to information requests during the inspection.  Developed several innovative and cost-saving approaches to resolve electrical and I&C issues.  Provided technical leadership and directions to junior engineers while performing task specific work.  
Loaned to URENCO LES for two years for the National Enrichment Facility project, the first COL nuclear facility in the US.  As Assistant Design Manager, was responsible for structural, electrical, HVAC, and core system design and implementation throughout the facility.  Provided recommendations which saved the project tens of millions of dollars in areas of rebar placement, criticality alarm systems, fire alarm systems, building design, and special exhaust filter system modification.  Also, was the Engineering Issue Resolution and Critical Path Milestone Manager.
 
In other assignments, has been instrumental in corrective action approaches and resolutions for EQ issues identified during regulatory directed shutdowns at two nuclear stations.  Led or participated in several self-assessment teams, which both identified quality and technical issues and provided recommendations for resolutions.  Performed evaluations in support of power uprate.  Managed / supervised preparation of numerous complex technical analyses and design basis document reports.  EQ experience includes program improvement plans, evaluations, and problem resolution; boric acid effects and cable submergence evaluations, power uprate EQ adequacy evaluations.  Formulated an innovative approach to predict electrical insulation aging effects and obtained two patents.  Managed / participated in a major aging assessment project to improve the consistency in addressing variations in aging effects.  Developed methodology in IEEE Std 1205 for assessing radiation and thermal aging effects and for condition monitoring.  Chaired update of IEEE Std 627 on Equipment Qualification and IEEE Std 692 on Nuclear Security Systems.

 

Previous Experience

Senior Project Manager, 1989 – 1990
TENERA, L.P., Ann Arbor, MI

Performed technical consulting in the form of program assessments, special research studies and engineering reports, and problem resolution recommendations for more than 10 utilities involving more than 12 plant sites. Included regulatory program assessments, UFSAR reviews and research, licensing commitment research, aging analyses, equipment operability evaluations, design basis reconstitution research efforts, system studies, and valve operator evaluations.

Project Engineer and Project Manager, 1986 – 1989
Bechtel Power Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI

Directed a multi-disciplinary design team, which prepared major studies, research reports, design modification packages, and power uprate evaluations.  Was responsible for budgets, cost accounting, and scheduling on several multi-million dollar projects as well as interfacing with the client's engineering staff, construction superintendents, and management.  Participated in and supervised engineers in performing technical research, engineering evaluations, EQ, post-accident monitoring, and design basis research.  Provided technical support for and during regulatory compliance inspections.

Group Leader / Senior Engineer / Nuclear Engineer, 1979 – 1985
Bechtel Power Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI

Supervised the mechanical balance-of-plant and emergency diesel generator (EDG) group of a nuclear power plant project team where he was responsible for final system design and construction interface.  Earlier, was a task group leader on an operating power plant services project team.  Developed EQ review procedures, resolved EQ action items, performed EQ evaluations, and updated the EQ program.  Evaluated radiation and temperature aging effects and made maintenance/surveillance recommendations.  Prepared one of the industry's first aging assessment programs in 1980.  Evaluated concerns arising from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 Incident and made recommendations in the areas of post-accident monitoring instrumentation, plant status indication, and combustible gas control.  For a short period of time, was one of the first industry Shift Technical Advisors.

Nuclear Submarine Office / Instructor, 1972 – 1978
U.S. Navy

Supervised and trained electronic and mechanical technicians in maintenance and operation of reactor support and monitoring equipment, propulsion and turbine generators, diesel, reactor fluid systems, other cooling systems, and HVAC.  Later taught a three month course to officer students on reactor plant systems, reactor operating procedures, thermohydraulic analysis, and accident safety analysis.

 

Professional Affiliations

• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers – Member of Power Engineering Society Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Local Section Past Chair (1996-97) for Southeastern Michigan Section.
• Member IEEE Power Engineering Society (PES) Nuclear Power Engineering Committee (NPEC).
• Past Chair IEEE PES NPEC SC-3 (Maintenance, Aging, & Testing), Past-Secretary SC-6 (Safety Systems), and Member of SC-2 (Qualification); Member WG-2.1 (Environmental Qualification), Past Chair of WG-3.4 (Aging Assessment), Chair of WG-3.2 (Security), Member WG-3.1 (Testing), Member WG-6.1 (Accident Monitoring), and Chair WG-2.10 (Design Qualification)
• Member, American Nuclear Society (ANS) and Michigan Section Past Chair (1990-91)
• Past President (1986-87) of Ann Arbor Chapter of MSPE
• Member of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
• Member, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honorary and Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honorary

 

Patents

• Patent, Inventor of Method and Apparatus for Determining Remaining Life of Conductor Insulation Systems through Void Size and Density Correlation, Patent Serial Number 6,076,411 (2000).
• Patent, Co-Inventor of Method for Detecting and Measuring Voids in Conductor Insulation Systems, Patent Serial Number 6,002,790 (1999).

 

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• "Transition Temperature Considerations When Extrapolating Safety-Related Equipment Post-Accident Operating Times," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 51(5), October 2004 by GM Hostetter and DA Horvath.
• "Restoring Environmentally Qualified Equipment Health after a Boric Acid Event," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 51(4), August 2004 by DA Horvath, MJ Wylie, and RL Steinman.
• "Standardization of EQ Program Limitorque Valve Actuator Configurations," IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 51(4), August 2004 by RL Steinman, DA Horvath, and MJ Wylie.
• "Microscopic Void Detection for Predicting Remaining Life in Electric Cable Insulation," ANS Nuclear Technology, 143(2) August 2003 by DA Horvath and SM Avila.
• "Updated Aging Assessment Approach and Use with Electric Cable Insulation," ANS Nuclear Technology, 143(2) August 2002, by DA Horvath and RP Colaianni.
• IEEE Std 497-2002, Standard for Accident Monitoring Instrumentation for Nuclear Power Generating Stations, coauthored with IEEE/PES/NPEC WG-6.1.
• IEEE Std 1205-2000, Guide For Assessing, Monitoring, and Mitigating Aging Effects on Class 1E Equipment Used in Nuclear Power Generating Stations, co-authored with PES/NPEC WG 3.4.
• IEEE Std 692-1997, 2010, Criteria for Security Systems for Nuclear Power Generating Station, co-authored with IEEE/PES/NPEC WG-3.7 and WG-3.1.
• IEEE Std 627-2010 Standard for Qualification of Equipment Used in Nuclear Facilities. Co-authored with IEEE/PES/NPEC WG-2.10

 

Other Publications And Reports

• "Restoring Health to Containment EQ Equipment after a Boric Acid Release Event," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 2003, by DA Horvath, RL Steinman, and MJ Wylie.
• "Re-Establishing EQ Regulatory Compliance for a Boric Acid Release Event," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 2003, by MJ Wylie, DA Horvath, and RL Steinman.
• "Transition Temperature Considerations When Extrapolating Post-Accident Operating Times," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 2003, by GM Hostetter and DA Horvath.
• "Improving IEEE Standards for Nuclear Plant License Renewal," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 2002, by RP Colaianni and DA Horvath.
• "Adopting Risk Informed Techniques for Electrical Testing," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 2002, by DA Horvath, GE Schinzel, G Ballassi, and TJ Riccio.
• "Revised Industry Guidance in the Area of Accident Monitoring Instrumentation for Nuclear Power Generating Stations," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 2002, by GE Lang, DA Horvath, DL Harmon, BS Marcus, and I Rana
• "Microstructure Assessments for Determining Electric Cable Insulation Remaining Life," International Conference on Wire System Aging, 2002, by DA Horvath and RL Steinman
• "Assessing the Condition of Inaccessible Cables through Correlation of Capacitance and Insulation Microstructure," Intern’l Conference on Wire System Aging, 2002, by RL Steinman & DA Horvath
• "Considerations for Adopting Risk Informed Techniques for Electrical Surveillance Testing (future revision of IEEE Std 338)," International Topical Meeting on Probabilistic Safety Assessment, 2002, by DA Horvath, GE Schinzel, G Ballassi, and TJ Riccio
• "Feasibility of Determining Margin of Remaining Life Using Void Content," IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, November 2001, by RL Steinman and DA Horvath
• "Relationship of Electric Insulation Void Content with Electric Cable Normalized Capacitance," IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2001), October 2001 by DA Horvath and RL Steinman.
• "Preliminary Results of Electric Insulation Void Content Growth from Simulated Exposure to a Nuclear Power Plant's High Energy Line Break Event," IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2001), October 2001 by DA Horvath and DC Martin.
• "Microscopic Void Characterization for Assessing Aging of Electric Cable Insulation Used in Nuclear Power Stations," IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP 2000), October 2000 by DA Horvath, DC Wood, and MJ Wylie
• "Industry Approach to Aging Assessment Updated," International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Controls, and Human-Machine Interface Technologies (NPIC&HMIT 2000), November 2000 by DA Horvath and RP Colaianni (Duke Energy)
• "IEEE Std 1205-2000 Incorporates New Guidance for Electrical Cable Aging Management and Assessments," International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Controls, and Human-Machine Interface Technologies (NPIC&HMIT 2000), November 2000 by RP Colaianni (Duke Energy) and DA Horvath
• "Microscopic Void Detection as a Prelude to Predicting Remaining Life in Electric Cable Insulation," International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Controls, and Human-Machine Interface Technologies, NPIC&HMIT 2000, November 2000 by SM Avila & DA Horvath
• "Predicting and Extending Equipment Life: How & Why?," NMAC MEMO, April 1995, published by Electric Power Research Institute's Nuclear Maintenance Applications Center.
• DBD-A64-001, Environmental Qualification Topical Design Basis Document for the Duane Arnold Energy Center, September 1992, prepared for Iowa Electric.
• Report No. 192801-1, Motor Maintenance Evaluation Study for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, December 1990, prepared for Northern States Power Company.
• Project No. 551202, Evaluation of Increased Temperature Effects on Operability of Safety-Related Electrical Equipment in Low Voltage Switchgear and Electrical Isolation Rooms During Loss of HVAC, for the Davis-Besse Station, April 1990, prepared for Toledo Edison.
• Project 11186-234, Semiannual Reports (four total) on the Environmental Qualification Program for Safety-Related Electrical Equipment for the Duane Arnold Energy Center, January 1982, July 1982, January 1983, and September 1983, prepared for Iowa Electric Light and Power Company.
• Project 6914-01, Report on Results of DAEC EQ Program Assessment, September 1989, prepared for Iowa Electric Light and Power Company.
• C-ECS-202.01-001, Calculation of Arrhenius Time-Weighted Average Containment Temperature for the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Station, January 1993, prepared for Toledo Edison.
• Project IE0201, Drawings and Other Operational References Accuracy/Usage Improvement Program Plan (and ten Task Closure Reports), 1991 - 1992, prepared for Iowa Electric.
• DBD-T-41, Hazards Topical Design Basis Document for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, December 1994, prepared for Wisconsin Electric Power Company. Advent Quality Assurance Manual (Original Program Description), March 1991.
• Advent Quality Assurance Manual (Original Program Description), March 1991.
• DBD-6.01(TR), Grid Interface Topical Report for Palisades Nuclear Plant, December 1992, prepared for Consumers Power Company.
• DC-0182, RHRSW Mech. Draft Cooling Towers - Heat Load and Water Losses for the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant Ultimate Heat Sink, December 1993, prepared for Detroit Edison.