Nuclear Plant Control Room Design Research Articles

Comparison of US and UK Practices and Philosophies for Nuclear Plant Control Room Design

The American and British nuclear power programmes have in the past taken divergent routes, with the Americans choosing pressurized water reactors, whilst the British have opted for gas cooling. Although the technology and plant design for these two systems encompasses many fundamental differences, some of which have ramifications for the controllers, the basic task of monitoring and controlling a reactor holds many similarities in both countries. It is therefore instructive to compare and contrast the approaches which have been taken to human factors in nuclear power plant control room design on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Integration of Human Factors Methodology into Nuclear Power Plant Control Room Reviews

Investigations following the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident concluded that the nuclear plant control room design process did not give adequate attention to the human operators and their response under conditions of severe plant upsets or accidents. In an attempt to review existing nuclear control room design and prevent future accidents, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued several requirements. The response of most nuclear utilities to the requirements was confusion and uncertainty. This paper briefly reviews the evolution of NRC requirements since the TMI accident, and it describes a utility pilot study to demonstrate the usefulness of human factors methods in meeting these requirements. This utility pilot study suggests that those human engineering problems likely to affect the ability of control room operators to complete emergency procedures should be assigned the highest priority for mitigation.