Enhancing nuclear power plant performance through the use of artifical intelligence. First annual report

Abstract

In the summer of 1988, the Department of Nuclear Engineering (NE) at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville was selected to carry out a research program in ``Enhancing the Operation of Nuclear Power plants through the use of Artificial Intelligence, This program is sponsored by the Department of Energy`s Office of Energy Research under 10CFR605 for Nuclear Engineering Research. The objective of the research is to advance the state-of-the-art of nuclear power plant control, safety, management, and instrumentation systems through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, including both expert systems and neural networks. The emphasis will be placed on methods that can be implemented on a rapid or real-time basis. A second, but equally important, objective is to build a broadly based critical mass of expertise in the artificial intelligence, field that can be brought to bear on the technology of nuclear power plants. Both of these goals are being met. This overview and the attached technical reports describe the work that is being carried out. Although in some cases, the scope of the work differs somewhat from the specific tasks described in the original proposal, all activities are clearly within the overall scope of the contract.