Fuzzy engineering in nuclear research applications

Abstract

Security, maintenance, monitoring, diagnosis, and environment are all related to humans and their society, and are the most important and dificult problems of nuclear engineering. These problems are so complicated that they can hardly be solved without a global approach. Therefore, fuzzy engineering may be one of the most powerful tools available to us. This paper reports on the initial activity of fuzzy engineering at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre. It illustrates two applications, namely, nuclear emergency decision aiding systems, and inspection of transmission lines of nuclear installations with preliminary results, then states a new RtYD project concerning a fuzzy model-based control of a nuclear reactor giving more practical questions lo do with fuzzy engineering rather than presenting solutions. The paper finally emphasizes that fuzzy engineering is needed for the nuclear research world through the overwhelming response to the first international FLINS workshop on fuzz# logic and intelligent technologies in nuclear science, held September [14][15][16] 1994 in Mol, Belgium.