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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Deanna Jing Zhang, Dawnmathews Kalathiveettil (NRC)
Proceedings | Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technolgies (NPIC&HMIT 2019) | Orlando, FL, February 9-14, 2019 | Pages 1114-1121
Modern digital instrumentation and controls (I&C) systems incorporate many design features that provide safety and reliability benefits to plant operations. However, design decisions relating to I&C system architecture and implementation of these design features may present challenges to demonstrating safety and compliance to regulatory requirements. There can be significant safety and regulatory impacts from design decisions related the I&C platform used, interfaces among redundant safety divisions and between safety and non-safety systems, deterministic behavior, and diversity strategies. These design decisions may influence the I&C system architecture, result in different hazards and hazard controls (e.g., measures for prevention or mitigation), and affect design complexity, all of which may necessitate corresponding levels of evidence (i.e., level of detail, analysis, testing, operating experience, etc.) to demonstrate that the I&C design provides reasonable assurance of safety and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements in an efficient and effective manner. This paper discusses some of the key design decisions for the APR1400 I&C system and architecture and their impact on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff’s design certification application licensing review. For example, this paper discusses benefits and challenges associated with the I&C platform used for the safety-related I&C system. This paper also explores the challenges associated with non-safety to safety communications and the design constraints chosen that addressed hazards of concern associated with this communication and compliance with the independence design principle and regulatory requirement. In addition, this paper provides examples of information necessary to support the safety and regulatory compliance demonstration. Lastly, this paper provides additional insight on lessons learned during the regulatory process for the APR1400 I&C system design certification application review.