Digital Architecture – Results From a Gap Analysis

Scarola²

2018

Digital instrumentation and control (I&C) qualification continues to be a major impediment to addressing the reliability and obsolescence issues of the legacy analog I&C systems of the operating light water reactor (LWR) fleet. In particular, the issue of digital common cause failure (CCF) has been difficult to address and has been the reason some nuclear plant operators have deferred upgrades of these critical plant systems, opting rather to maintain them with costly engineering and maintenance efforts. This has now become far more difficult in the face of declining analog technology suppliers and dwindling availability of spare parts and technical support for critical plant components. At the same time, the nuclear fleet must now reduce its operating costs to remain competitive in a market of low cost gas generation and heavily-subsidized renewables. Digital technology's inherent capabilities of integration, interconnectivity, and standardization offer the foremost means of implementing performance improvements and cost reductions for this purpose. This has been demonstrated over and over again in other industry sectors, as well as in conventional electric generation facilities. However, these digital technologies present certain I&C qualification barriers that must be addressed to enable full deployment where cost-beneficial. This report presents an assessment of digital I&C qualification issues and addresses gaps in qualification methods and processes that would potentially benefit from Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored research and development. Two new qualification methods are described that are recommended for further investigation. They are 1) Testability-the exhaustive (100%) testing of certain digital devices accounting for all combinations of inputs and internal states to ensure there are no digital defects, and 2) Elimination of CCF triggers-ensuring that any latent digital defects are not concurrently triggered in multiple digital functions that are assumed to be independent (e.g., redundant safety systems).

“…Digital Architecture Requirements (INL/EXT-15-34696) [59] • Digital Architecture: Results From a Gap Analysis (INL/EXT-15-36662)[60] …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategy for Safety-Related Digital I&C Qualification

Scarola²

2018

“…This information was compiled and summarized, along with general observations and recommendations and documented in report INL/EXT-15-36662, Digital Architecture -Results from a Gap Analysis. [16] It will be used in the next phase of this pilot project to prioritize where focus is needed in defining and providing guidance for enhancing the digital architecture of nuclear plants.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Systems Technologies Technical Program Plan for FY 2016

Hallbert

2015

Self Cite

This report presents the Technical Program Plan for FY 2017 for the Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program -Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control (II&C) Systems Technologies research pathway. A summary of the vision and strategy is provided to explain how this program addresses key issues and barriers for implementing digital instrumentation and control technologies in domestic nuclear power plants. The report describes 20 pilot projects that have been formulated to develop and validate enabling technologies over a 16 year period that will result in digital alternatives to the legacy analog II&C systems in place today. This will allow much needed modernization of these systems to address reliability and obsolescence problems, as well as serve as a platform for substantial operational improvement. The report further describes key project resources and cooperative relationships, including the Electric Power Research Institute, the IFE Halden Reactor Project, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and industry suppliers, that are instrumental to the success of the program. The report also lists the schedule for all program products, including the titles and report numbers for all published reports under this program.

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Systems Technologies Technical Program Plan for FY 2017

Hallbert

2016

Technologies research pathway. A summary of the vision and strategy is provided to explain how this program addresses key issues and barriers for implementing digital instrumentation and control technologies in domestic nuclear power plants. The report describes 20 pilot projects that have been formulated to develop and validate enabling technologies over a 16 year period that will result in digital alternatives to the legacy analog II&C systems in place today. This will allow much needed modernization of these systems to address reliability and obsolescence problems, as well as serve as a platform for substantial operational improvement. The report further describes key project resources and cooperative relationships, including the Electric Power Research Institute, the IFE Halden Reactor Project, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and industry suppliers, that are instrumental to the success of the program. The report also lists the schedule for all program products, including the titles and report numbers for all published reports under this program.