Nuclear Plant Journal - Digital Versions

A Market...
Continued from page 36
and deterrence through timely detection.
International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) safeguards have been successfully
incorporated in CANDU reactors for
decades, and have evolved over time.
7. What enhancements have been made
in the control station design to ensure
improved human-system interface
Improvements in computer technology—particularly
digital communications
and distributed systems—provided
a significant opportunity to improve the
human system interface in the ACR-1000
Main Control Room (MCR), as follows:
• Enlarged main operator console,
with more computer display stations,
allowing for control and monitoring
at the console instead of at the standto-operate
panels of the past designs;
automating standard manual control
sequences reduces the chance of
human error.
• Improved main operator console and
shift interrogation console, providing
work stations for monitoring safety
and production functions, and for
administrative functions; large
work areas for paperwork and
documentation with easy-access
document storage
• Large-screen displays and a small
section of hardwired backup panels
providing plant overview information
for situation awareness.
• Automated safety system testing,
which can be initiated from the
main operator console and reduces
operator workload
• Highly-effective CANDU Alarm
Message List System (CAMLS),
filtering the alarm message stream to
ensure only pertinent alarms appear
• Seismically-qualified MCR, allowing
operator to remain there following
a seismic event and handle it using
familiar interfaces
8. How has information technology
been used to survey and self-diagnose
problems in the systems, structure, and
components in ACR-1000 How does
this ensure reliable operation and longer
plant life
From smart sensors to increased
process and large equipment diagnostic
monitoring and assessments, the new
digital technologies will enhance
ACR-1000 diagnostic and prognostic
or condition-monitoring capabilities,
including smart sensors and control
elements, vibration-monitoring and
neutronics analysis from the CANDU
6 reference design. ACR 1000 will be
incorporating significantly different
designs and levels of integration than the
A WINNING PARTNER
FOR THE
NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE
reference plants. The move to digitalbased
systems, not just in the areas of
I&C but in communications and other
areas as well, will greatly impact the
functionality performance of the plant
industrial network systems:
Network Design Topologies
• The new “distribution system”
• Operator Support
• Operator rounds Logs
• Video surveillance
(Continued on page 40)
CABLES AND H2/O2 MONITORING SYSTEMS
www.meggittsafety.com
38 http://subscribe.npjonline.com http://www.NPJOnline.com Nuclear Plant Journal, September-October 2008