Energia i regulacje · 8/31/2007

U.S. Digital Instrumentation and Control and Human-Machine Interface Workshop

The increasing use of digital instrumentation and controls, and the growing prevalence of human interactions with such systems, in nuclear generating and fuel cycle facilities have introduced new regulatory challenges along with the potential benefit of improved plant safety. Currently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) addresses these challenges by analyzing their scope, impact, and potential adverse plant interactions, and then conducting research on each safety-related topical issue identified through this analysis. Often, such analyses and research are performed under contracts that the NRC establishes with commercial entities, national laboratories, universities, and international research facilities. However, there may be advantages to alternative approaches such as establishing a single, integrated test facility with expertise in the areas of digital instrumentation and controls and human-machine interfaces (DIC&HMI). The NRC is conducting public workshops to review the current and future technical issues in the area of digital instrumentation and control and human-machine interface (I&C and HMI), to identify the capabilities that a facility or facilities would ne