Probabilistic Safety Assessment for Instrumentation and Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants: An Overview

Abstract

Deregulation in the electricity market has resulted in a number of challenges in the nuclear power industry. Nuclear power plants must find innovative ways to remain competitive by reducing operating costs without jeopardizing safety. Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems not only play important roles in plant operation, but also in reducing the cost of power generation while maintaining and/or enhancing safety. Therefore, it is extremely important that I&C systems are managed efficiently and economically. With the increasing use of digital technologies, new methods are needed to solve problems associated with various aspects of digital I&C systems. Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) has proved to be an effective method for safety analysis and risk-based decisions, even though challenges are still present. This paper provides an overview of PSA applications in three areas of digital I&C systems in nuclear power plants. These areas are Graded Quality Assurance, Surveillance Testing, and Instrumentation and Control System Design. In addition, PSA application in the regulation of nuclear power plants that adopt digital I&C systems is also investigated.