Evaluation of selected digital instrumentation & control architectures for nuclear power plants to determine compliance with the NNR position paper PP-0017 requirements

Abstract

The Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system is the central nervous-system of a nuclear power plant. New nuclear power plants being proposed to be built in this country all involve digital I&C systems, both safety related and non-safety related. The I&C systems of earlier Generation nuclear power plants are facing challenges with aging and obsolete analogue components. Technology has evolved in recent times and digital systems have replaced most analogue systems in other industries. Due to the safety and licensing requirements in the nuclear industry, the analogue and digital systems work concurrent in the protection and trip systems. The additional functionality of a digital I&C system will open up new possibilities to support operations as well as maintenance activities in the nuclear power plant. For the I&C architectures and systems being evaluated by this study, the I&C architectures are based on existing digital platforms that were developed for nuclear power plants currently under construction in other countries. The objective of this research project is to explain the development process of an I&C architecture, develop drivers and tactics from the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) position paper PP-0017, evaluate and verify selected digital I&C architectures. The final objective is to synthesise a proposed digital I&C architecture in compliance with the requirements imposed by the NNR position paper PP-0017.