Reference Operational Concepts for Advanced Nuclear Power Plants

Abstract

Advanced nuclear power plants currently being designed are characterized by structural, functional and operational features that are uncommon in the current generation of plants worldwide. Due to the long worldwide hiatus in the development of new nuclear power plants most of these issues and the implications of new operational concepts have never been evaluated in detail. This paper is a summary of the results of a four-year project at the Idaho National Laboratory to develop a systematic process to analyze the operational requirements of new plants. The paper describes a method to produce reliable information for the design of robust and resilient systems that allow dynamic collaboration between operators and plant systems. It also provides examples of the application of this method to the development of an operational concept for advanced nuclear power plants, with examples from sodium fast reactors (SFRs).

Advanced Reactor Control and Operations (ARCO): A University Research Facility for Developing Optimized Digital Control Rooms

“…While developing a new control room design philosophy, designers have the opportunity to change the concept of operations, or the role of operators in the control room. 18 While existing regulations mandate strict requirements for control room staffing and responsibility, 19 improvements may exist outside of current regulatory constraints. Finding these improvements is an essential requirement to optimally allocate tasks best suited for computers and for people.…”