EXTENT OF AUTOMATION IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

NAVEENA.E(12U235)
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
Branch: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL ENGINEERING
of Anna University
JULY !"#
DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
ENGINEERING
PSG COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
(Autonomous Institution)
COIMBATORE $ %&" !!&
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER Pa'( N).
ABSTRACT................... ([1])
1. INTRODUCTION............([1])
2. AUTOMATION....................................................................................([1])
3. AREAS OF CONCERN...............................................................([2])
3.1. Food and drink [2]
3.2. Automated mining [2]
3.3. Automated video surveillance [2]
3.4. Automated highway systems [2]
3.5. Home automation [3]
3.. !ndustrial automation [3]
4. NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS...([3])
5. EXTENT OF AUTOMATION.([3])
5.1. Human"#ystem !nter$aces %H#!& [4]
6. RESULTS........ ([6])
REFERENCE...... ([])

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I
EXTENT OF AUTOMATION IN NUCLEAR POWER
PLANTS
ABSTRACT
'his (a(er deals with the e$$ects o$ levels o$ automation decisions in control rooms o$ the
nuclear (ower (lants. Following advancements in design o$ digitali)ed human*system
inter$aces %H#!s&+ the roles o$ human o(erators have changed signi$icantly. ,attern o$ #ystem
awareness is at intermediate -evel .$ Automation and (oorer at low -evel .$ Automation and
$ull automation. #election /etween human and0or com(uter servers which signi$icantly im(acts
automated system (er$ormance. 'his study (rovides a direction $or the H#! designers in nuclear
(ower (lants.
1 INTRODUCTION
Following advancements in digital control+ instrumentation+ and dis(lay systems+ human
o(erators usually (lay the su(ervisory controller role at modern nuclear (ower (lants. Huang et
al. %2112& (ointed out that as more and more automated technologies are introduced in (ower
(lants+ the a/ility o$ human o(erators to know what is going on inside the 33/lack /o45 is
adversely a$$ected. Huang et al. %2112& $ound that when a return"to"normal alarm is reset
automatically+ o(erators may not /e aware that such an alarm had occurred. ,arasuraman et al.
%2111& (ro(osed that automation should /e decom(osed /y $unctional dimensions+ thus
de$ining di$$erent ty(es o$ automation+ each o$ which can have several levels. 6arious levels o$
automation designating the degree o$ human o(erator and com(uter control were e4(lored
within the conte4t o$ a dynamic control task as a means o$ im(roving overall human*machine
(er$ormance %7ndsley and 8a/er+ 1999&. 'he conce(t o$ ada(tive automation re$ers to the
dynamic allocation o$ tasks or control $unctions /etween human o(erators and automated
control systems over time /ased on the states o$ the human"task"environment system. 8a/er et
al. %211& assessed the e$$ectiveness o$ AA $or su((orting in$ormation (rocessing %!,& in
com(le4 and dynamic systems.
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2 AUTOMATION
A!"#$%"&#' is the use o$ machines+ control system and in$ormation technology to
o(timi)e (roductivity in the (roduction o$ goods and delivery o$ services. Automation is to
increase (roductivity+ :uality /eyond that (ossi/le with current human la/or levels so as to
reali)e economies o$ scale+ reali)e (redicta/le :uality levels. Automation is a ste( /eyond
mechani)ation. ;hereas mechani)ation (rovides human o(erators+ automation greatly
decreases the need $or human sensory and mental re:uirements while increasing load ca(acity+
s(eed+ and re(eata/ility.
3 AREAS OF CONCERN
3.1 F##( %'( ()&'*
'he $ood retail industry has started to a((ly automation to the ordering (rocess+
<c=onald>s introduced touch screen ordering and (ayment systems in many o$ its restaurants+
reducing the need $or as many cashier em(loyees.

?niversity o$ 'e4as has introduced $ully
automated ca$e retail locations. #ome @a$es and restaurants have utili)ed mo/ile and ta/let
Aa((sA to make the ordering (rocess more e$$icient /y customers ordering and (aying on their
device. #ome restaurants have automated $ood delivery to customer>s ta/les using a conveyor
/elt system. 'he use o$ ro/ots is sometimes em(loyed to re(lace waiting sta$$.
3.2 A!"#$%"+( $&'&',
Automated mining involves the removal o$ human la/or $rom the mining (rocess. 'he
mining industry is currently in the transition towards Automation. @urrently it can still re:uire a
large amount o$ human ca(ital+ (articularly in the third world where la/or costs are low so there
is less incentive $or increasing e$$iciency through automation.
3.3 A!"#$%"+( -&(+# .!)-+&//%'0+
@urrently+ there is a maBor e$$ort underway in the vision community to develo( a $ully
automated tracking surveillance system. Automated video surveillance monitors (eo(le and
vehicles in real time within a /usy environment. 74isting automated surveillance systems are
/ased on the environment they are (rimarily designed to o/serve+ i.e.+ indoor+ outdoor or
air/orne+ the amount o$ sensors that the automated system can handle and the mo/ility o$
sensor.
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3.4 A!"#$%"+( 1&,12%3 .3."+$.
Full automation commonly de$ined as re:uiring no control or very limited control /y the
driverC such automation would /e accom(lished through a com/ination o$ sensor+ com(uter+
and communications systems in vehicles and along the roadway. Fully automated driving would+
in theory+ allow closer vehicle s(acing and higher s(eeds+ which could enhance tra$$ic ca(acity
in (laces where additional road /uilding is (hysically im(ossi/le+ (olitically unacce(ta/le+ or
(rohi/itively e4(ensive. Automated controls also might enhance road sa$ety /y reducing the
o((ortunity $or driver error+ which causes a large share o$ motor vehicle crashes. .ther (otential
/ene$its include im(roved air :uality+ increased $uel economy+ and s(in"o$$ technologies
generated during research and develo(ment related to automated highway systems.
3.5 4#$+ %!"#$%"&#'
Home automation %also called demotic& designates an emerging (ractice o$ increased
automation o$ household a((liances and $eatures in residential dwellings+ (articularly through
electronic means that allow $or things im(ractica/le+ overly e4(ensive or sim(ly not (ossi/le in
recent (ast decades.
3.6 I'(!.")&%/ %!"#$%"&#'
!ndustrial automation deals with the o(timi)ation o$ energy"e$$icient drive systems /y
(recise measurement and control technologies. Dowadays energy e$$iciency in industrial
(rocesses is /ecoming more and more relevant. #emiconductor com(anies like !n$ineon
'echnologies are o$$ering E"/it micro"controller a((lications $or e4am(le $ound in motor control+
general (ur(ose (um(s+ $ans+ and e"/ikes to reduce energy consum(tion and thus increase
e$$iciency. !n agriculture+ now that we are moving towards automated orange"sorting and
autonomous tractors+ the ne4t ste( in automated agriculture is ro/otic straw/erry (ickers.
4 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
!n '!0/+%) 5#2+) 5/%'"+ the heat source is a nuclear reactor. 'he heat is used to
generate steam which drives a steam tur/ine connected to a generator which (roduces
electricity. As o$ 1 Fanuary 2113+ the !A7A re(ort there are 439 nuclear (ower reactors in
o(eration o(erating in 31 countries. N!0/+%) 5#2+)+ or N!0/+%) +'+),3+ is the use o$
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e4othermic nuclear (rocess+ to generate use$ul heat and electricity. 'he term includes the
$ollowing heat (roducing (rocesses+ nuclear $ission+ nuclear decay and nuclear $usion. . Duclear
%$ission& (ower stations+ (rovided a/out 5.2G o$ the worldHs energy and 13G o$ the worldHs
electricity in 2112.
5 EXTENT OF AUTOMATION IN POWER PLANTS
;e have com(letely rely on nuclear (ower (lants to meet our (ower demands.
Automation in (ower (lants in earlier days was not much develo(ed leading to sa$ety issues. As
technology develo(ed+ the level o$ automation also im(roved. Iut com(lete automation should
not /e (re$erred /ecause it has its own disadvantages. #o we have to move on to ada(tive
automation were Human <achine !nter$ace comes into (lay.
5.1 4!$%'6S3."+$ I'"+)7%0+. (4SI)
H#! or com(uter human inter$aces %@H!&+ $ormerly known as man-machine interfaces+
are usually em(loyed to communicate with ,-@s and other com(uters. ,-@s are s(eciali)ed
hardened com(uters which are $re:uently used to synchroni)e the $low o$ in(uts $rom %(hysical&
sensors and events with the $low o$ out(uts to actuators and events. 'wo models can /e used
to understand the interaction /etween human o(erators and human*system inter$aces in
nuclear (ower (lants. 'hey are Human !n$ormation ,rocessing %H!,& and #kill"Jule"8nowledge
%#J8&.
5.1.1 4!$%' I'7#)$%"&#' P)#0+..&', (4IP)
'his model re(resents in$ormation (rocessing through a series o$ stages. 'his was
(ro(osed /y ;ickens and Hollands. 'he $igure 1.1 shows how in$ormation is (rocessed

Figure 1.1 HIP PROCESS
First+ the model a((lied the $our stages o$ H!, to classi$y automation ty(es. -evels o$
automation were then identi$ied /ased on each automation ty(e. ,rimary evaluative criteria
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were then a((lied to assess human (er$ormance+ mental workload+ and #A. Finally+ secondary
evaluative criteria+ such as automation relia/ility and costs o$ action outcomes+ were used to
con$irm automation ty(es and levels. 'his model can /e used as a starting (oint when
determining the automation ty(es and levels that should /e im(lemented in a (articular system.
'his model also (rovides a $ramework $or evaluating issues relevant to automation design+
including human (er$ormance+ mental workload+ #A+ automation relia/ility and costs.
5.1.2 S*&//6R!/+68'#2/+(,+ (SR8)
'he other model is the #kill*Jule*8nowledge %#J8& human /ehavior classi$ication
$ramework %Jasmussen+ 19E3& which identi$ies three categories o$ human /ehaviors " skill+ rule
and knowledge"/ased /ehaviors.
#kill /ased /ehavior " $ully automated activities * tracking or guiding
Jule /ased /ehavior"stereoty(ed actions*checking in trou/leshooting electronic circuits
8nowledge /ased /ehavior conscious activities involving (ro/lem solving and decision
making
!n the $irst (hase o$ this model+ human errors associated with a target system were analy)ed
/y the #J8 model. #kill"/ased sli(s occur when situation understanding and intention are
correct+ /ut e4ecution o$ an action is erroneous. !n these circumstances+ the so"called
3im(lementing automation> can /e a((lied to (revent (oor skill e4ecution. #kill"/ased la(ses are
usually due to memory $ailure %i.e.+ $orget$ulness&C in these circumstances+ 3monitoring
automation> can /e used to assist with (erce(tual errors. Jule"/ased mistakes occur when
actions are in accordance with a (lan+ /ut the (lan is inade:uate to achieve a desired outcomeC
in other words+ the wrong rules were selected $or an action. !n these circumstances+ the so"
called 3selecting automation> can /e a((lied to im(rove the develo(ment o$ a((ro(riate rules.
8nowledge" /ased mistakes occur when decision"making is /ased on an inade:uate
understanding o$ a situation. #uch mistakes can result $rom insu$$icient knowledge %3(erce(tual
error>& or $rom insu$$icient e4(ertise in inter(reting com(le4 in$ormation %3decision making error>&.
!n these circumstances+ the so"called 3(lanning or generating automation> can /e used to assist
or re(lace human decision"making.
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Figure 1.2 DECISION FRAMEWORK
6 AD9ANTA:ES
K <a4imi)e (lant ca(acity0out(ut (ower levels.
K Achieve and maintain high relia/ility.
K Achieve and maintain high availa/ility.
K <aintain high levels o$ sa$ety.
K !ntegrate $ault tolerance and $ault recovery into the systems %/oth $rom (otential human
and e:ui(ment errors&.
DISA9ANTA:ES
K High ca(ital e4(enditure.
K ;orker lay o$$.
K Higher level o$ maintenance.
K An automated system may have a limited level o$ intelligence" it sto(s once when the
(ro/lem is out o$ its sco(e.
; RESULTS
Automation is highly essential $or nuclear (ower (lants /ut com(lete automation leads to
out o$ the loo( (ro/lems. #o ada(tive automation is highly (re$erred where the area human
control is essential human should o(erate and (laces where automation is re:uired automation
controls are e:ui((ed.
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REFERENCE
1. @hiuhsiang Foe -in + ')u"@hung Lenn and @hih";ei Lang + MAutomation design in advanced
control rooms o$ the moderni)ed nuclear (ower (lants+5 #a$ety #cience+ vol. 4E+ ((. 3"21+2111.
2. 8ara #chmitt+ M Automations in$luence on nuclear (ower (lants+5 Automations influence on
nuclear power plants, vol. 41+((. 4545"4551+2112.
3. www.wiki(edia.com
4. www.sciencedirect.com
5. www.s(ringers.com
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