Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems for New and Existing Research Reactors

By IAEA

IAEA work in the area of research reactor operation and maintenance is aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Member States to utilize good engineering and management practices to improve research reactor reliability and availability. In particular, the IAEA supports activities addressing ageing management of research reactor instrumentation and control (I&C) systems. The purpose of this publication is to provide engineering guidance on the design, and operational aspects of digital I&C systems for the refurbishment of existing facilities and for new research reactors. Key areas addressed include codes and standards applicability, licensing issues, dealing with the change in human-system interface from analogue to digital technology, software verification and validation activities, periodic testing and inspection, and configuration management. The publication contains technical descriptions and summaries of available digital systems that have been utilized in both new research reactor designs, and in the upgrading of older analogue safety and control systems. This guidance is foreseen for the broad spectrum of research reactors types existing today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
• Release date: Apr 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9789201096210

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DIGITAL INSTRUMENTATION

AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

FOR NEW AND EXISTING

RESEARCH REACTORS

IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES No. NR-G-5.1

DIGITAL INSTRUMENTATION

AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

FOR NEW AND EXISTING

RESEARCH REACTORS

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

VIENNA, 2021

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of the Universal Copyright Convention as adopted in 1952 (Berne) and as revised in 1972 (Paris). The copyright has since been extended by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva) to include electronic and virtual intellectual property. Permission to use whole or parts of texts contained in IAEA publications in printed or electronic form must be obtained and is usually subject to royalty agreements. Proposals for non-commercial reproductions and translations are welcomed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Enquiries should be addressed to the IAEA Publishing Section at:

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International Atomic Energy Agency

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1400 Vienna, Austria

fax: [phone]

tel.: [phone]

email: [e-mail]

www.iaea.org/publications

© IAEA, 2021

Printed by the IAEA in Austria

April 2021

STI/PUB/1914

IAEA Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Names: International Atomic Energy Agency.

Title: Digital instrumentation and control systems for new and existing research reactors / International Atomic Energy Agency.

Description: Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2021. | Series: IAEA nuclear energy series, ISSN 1995–7807 ; no. NR-G-5.1 | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: IAEAL 21-01390 | ISBN 978–92–0–118320–0 (paperback : alk. paper) | ISBN 978–92–0–118420–7 (pdf) | ISBN 978–92–0–109621–0 (epub) | ISBN 978–92–0–109721–7 (mobipocket)

Subjects: Nuclear reactors — Control. | Nuclear engineering — Instruments. | Electronic instruments, Digital

Classification: UDC 621.039.5 | STI/PUB/1914

FOREWORD

The IAEA’s statutory role is to seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. Among other functions, the IAEA is authorized to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information on peaceful uses of atomic energy. One way this is achieved is through a range of technical publications including the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series.

The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series comprises publications designed to further the use of nuclear technologies in support of sustainable development, to advance nuclear science and technology, catalyse innovation and build capacity to support the existing and expanded use of nuclear power and nuclear science applications. The publications include information covering all policy, technological and management aspects of the definition and implementation of activities involving the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

The IAEA safety standards establish fundamental principles, requirements and recommendations to ensure nuclear safety and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

When IAEA Nuclear Energy Series publications address safety, it is ensured that the IAEA safety standards are referred to as the current boundary conditions for the application of nuclear technology.

The IAEA’s work in the area of research reactor operation and maintenance is aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Member States to utilize good engineering and management practices for the improvement of research reactor reliability and availability. In particular, the IAEA supports activities in addressing the ageing management of research reactor instrumentation and control (I&C) systems.

The purpose of this publication is to provide engineering guidance on the design, and operational aspects of digital I&C systems for the refurbishment of existing facilities and for new research reactors. This guidance is foreseen for the broad spectrum of research reactor types existing today. This publication is accompanied by on-line supplementary files that can be found on the publication’s individual web page at www.iaea.org/publications.

The IAEA wishes to thank all those who contributed to this publication, in particular D. Jinchuk (Argentina). The IAEA officers responsible for this publication were C.R. Morris, R. Sharma and Y.G. Cho of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology and D.V. Rao of the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety.

EDITORIAL NOTE

This publication has been edited by the editorial staff of the IAEA to the extent considered necessary for the reader’s assistance. It does not address questions of responsibility, legal or otherwise, for acts or omissions on the part of any person.

Although great care has been taken to maintain the accuracy of information contained in this publication, neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from its use.

Guidance provided here, describing good practices, represents expert opinion but does not constitute recommendations made on the basis of a consensus of Member States.

The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries.

The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA.

The IAEA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third party Internet web sites referred to in this book and does not guarantee that any content on such web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

The authoritative versions of the publications are the hard copies issued and available as PDFs on www.iaea.org/publications.To create the versions for e-readers, certain changes have been made, including the movement of some figures and tables.

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

1.2. Objective

1.3. Scope

1.4. Structure

2. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

2.1. Rationale

2.2. Analog versus digital technologies

2.3. Challenges

2.4. Modernization and new installation projects

3. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR I&C SYSTEM MODERNIZATION

3.1. Graded approach

3.2. Approaches to modernization

3.3. Design basis documentation for modernization

3.4. Basic design principles

3.5. Digital technology

3.6. Architectural approach

3.7. Considerations during the preparation of the modernization project

4. I&C PROJECT EXECUTION

4.1. Overview of project phases

4.2. Modernization project phases

4.3. Licensing process

4.4. New facilities

INTRODUCTION TO THE SUPPLEMENTARY FILES

Appendix: RELAT ED PUBLICATIONS

REFERENCES

ABBREVIATIONS

CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW

STRUCTURE OF THE IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

Over half of the operating research reactors in the world are over 45 years old. During this time frame there have been significant advances in electronics, computers and networks, and these new technologies have been incorporated into the currently available digital instrumentation and control (I&C) hardware and software, for safety and non-safety research reactor systems.

Even though advanced digital I&C systems have been used extensively in many other industries, their use in the nuclear industry has been limited. This is