Automated work packages architecture: An initial set of human factors and instrumentation and controls requirements

Abstract

The work management process in current fleets of national nuclear power plants (NPPs) is so highly dependent on large technical staffs and quality of work instruction, that it puts nuclear energy at somewhat of a long-term economic disadvantage and increases the possibility of human errors. Technologies such as mobile portable devices and computer-based procedures can play a key role in improving the plant work management process, thereby increasing productivity and decreasing cost. Automated work package (AWP) is a fundamentally enabling technology for improving worker productivity and human performance in NPP work activities because virtually every plant work activity is accomplished using some form of a work package. As part of this year's research effort, the architecture of AWP is identified along with an initial set of requirements, both of which are essential and necessary for implementation of AWPs in NPPs.

Automated Work Packages Prototype: Initial Design, Development, and Evaluation. Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program

“…This work succeeded in developing an initial prototype for wireless data acquisition of field instruments into a mobile device through a C# developed code at INL. As predicted in Agarwal, Oxstrand, and Le Blanc (2014), the prototype development and testing on the laboratory-scale flow loop produced various challenges, some of which were addressed in this stage, and other remain for future work as listed in the following section.…”

“…One of the activities associated with the AWP project is to develop and demonstrate means for automatic and wireless acquisition of plant process and components status information into the AWPs on a mobile device (Agarwal, Oxstrand, and Le Blanc 2014). To enable this automatic acquisition of data, it is necessary to design a platform for data exchange between the field instruments and the mobile devices.…”

“…To enable this automatic acquisition of data, it is necessary to design a platform for data exchange between the field instruments and the mobile devices. An earlier report of this project proposed an initial set of AWP requirements (Agarwal, Oxstrand and Le Blanc, 2014). This work targets the requirements associated with an architecture design that is prompt, robust, and interoperable with any technology.…”

“…This conclusion shows the importance and value of the human factors research conducted in both the LWRS program and in the AWP project in particular. The research activities in the AWP project aim to evaluate the functionalities and aspects of the complete work package process (i.e., the full process from initiating work request, planning, execution, and archiving) Agarwal et al, 2014. ) Figure 1.…”

“…2011). These concerns along with other requirements are listed in an earlier report of this project (Agarwal, Oxstrand, and Le Blanc 2014). This work targets the requirements of a platform that is prompt, robust and interoperable with any technology.…”