• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4195-4208
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• 2022

In this study, operator habitability was numerically evaluated in the event of a fire at the main control bench board (MCB) in a reference main control room (MCR). It was investigated if evacuation variables including hot gas layer temperature (HGLT), heat flux (HF), and optical density (OD) at 1.8 m from the MCR floor exceed the reference evacuation criteria provided in NUREG/CR-6850. For a fire model validation, the simulation results of the reference MCR were compared with existing experimental results on the same reference MCR. In the simulation, various input parameters were applied to the MCB panel fire scenario: MCR height, peak heat release rate (HRR) of a panel, number of panels where fire propagation occurs, fire propagation time, door open/close conditions, and mechanical ventilation operation. A specialized-average HRR (SAHRR) concept was newly devised to comprehensively investigate how the various input parameters affect the operator's habitability. Peak values of the evacuation variables normalized by evacuation criteria of NUREG/CR-6850 were well-correlated as the power function of the SAHRR for the various input parameters. In addition, the evacuation time map was newly utilized to investigate how the evacuation time for different SAHRR was affected by changing the various input parameters. In the previous studies, it was found that the OD is the most dominant variable to determine the MCR evacuation time. In this study, however, the evacuation time map showed that the HF is the most dominant factor at the condition of without-mechanical ventilation for the MCR with a partially-open false ceiling, but the OD is the most dominant factor for all the other conditions. Therefore, the method using the SAHRR and the evacuation time map was very useful to effectively and comprehensively evaluate the operator habitability for the various input parameters in the event of MCB fires for the reference MCR.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

The purpose of the Environment Design (ED) for Main Control Room (MCR) of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is to provide and create an optimal working space to be free from physical, physiological and mental stress as well as environmental discomfort, based on the previous environment design experiences and to recommend the best ED including the color, the lighting and the interior design. Environment Design consists of three main areas: Human factor engineering design, Interior design with color design, and Lighting design. These design areas have been interactively cooperated in a way that each design specialist would share the objectives and concepts of the Environment Design for MCR. The specialists for Human Factors Engineering design had a corporative role in such a way to provide the guidelines for MCR design suitability of Interior and Lighting design considering the Human System Interface (HSI) safety concerns. This paper describes fruitful efforts to create the best fit for MCR ED among several design proposals with the design recommendations, impacts, and contributions to NPP environment.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.81-88
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• 2007

Energy consumption has been increased world widely, and the energy retain is one of the most important economic alternatives. These tendencies expand the nuclear power plants not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. Despite of the increasing construction of nuclear power plants and related facilities, every system in main control room(MCR) has been designed and administered solely based on the safety-first principles because of the specificity of nuclear industry. However, recent main control rooms started with the concept that the operators' performance could be optimized though the organic interrelation between human, machine, and environments. Now, it has been recognised in the scope of Ergonomics and Space Design which acknowledge our living spaces as Man-Environment Interface and this change connotes the MCR spaces should be special spaces rather than ordinary spaces. This research investigated domestic and foreign nuclear power plants' MCRs to suggest basic alternatives which can be applied to future MCR. With the review of characteristics of MCR, an integration of interior design, lighting and Ergonomics was explored and classified as types. Futhermore, the classification of environmental characteristics within the relationships between human, machine, and environments was developed through the case analysis of nuclear power plants. The results of this study will provide a basis of space design for system environments that the high level of safety and function are extremely important.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.199-207
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• 2014

In this paper, to systematically assess the abandonment risk of main control room (MCR) fire, fire simulations with Fire Dynamics Simulator were performed and abandonment probabilities were estimated for the MCR bench-board fire of domestic reference nuclear power plant. The fire simulation scenarios performed in this study included propagating and non-propagating fires of the MCR bench-board, and the availability and unavailability of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVACS). The following results were obtained. First, temperature was the major abandonment impact factor for the MCR bench-board fire if the HVACS was available and optical density was that if the HVACS was unavailable. Second, the fire scenario contributing the MCR bench-board fire abandonment risk was identified to be only the propagating fire. Third, it was confirmed that the abandonment probability of the MCR bench-board fire for domestic reference nuclear power plant could be reduced by using the fire modeling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.664-667
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• 2004

In nuclear power plant, the main control room(MCR) plays a leading and important role, so it is the core to have its design well operater-centered, both physically and cognitively. This paper especially analyzes focusing on lighting MCR environment and shows alternatives. It will lead to improve work efficiency and to care operator's sight. In conclusion, reducing operator's stress, fatigue and increasing safety, comfort.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.129-135
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• 2014

The number of abnormal operation procedures (AOPs) for mitigating a plant abnormal status amounts to about one hundreds for the most of 1000MWe optimized power plant (OPR1000) and it is expected that the number of AOPs would be increased to cope with an abnormal status occurred newly. However, it is not well organized for operators to select a proper AOP from alarms occurred in main control room (MCR) during a plant abnormal status. It may be a burden to operators since the selection of AOP to respond an abnormal status is authorized by operators. When multiple alarms occur in MCR, it would take more time to respond them than a single alarm. To reduce the efforts, various MCR operation support systems have been developed. The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-alarm pattern card to select an appropriate AOP effectively when multiple alarms occurs in a single upper layout (UL) of MCR. It can be applied for an operation support tool as well as an education tool.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.56-62
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• 1996

The main control room (MCR) of a nuclear power plant plays an important role in the operation of the plant. Since the traditional man-machine interface of the current MCR is old-fashioned, a next-generation MCR, that provides a VDT-based human-computer interface is being designed. This paper aims to provide a systematic and efficient method for converting a traditional man-machine interface of the MCR into a VDT-based one. Procedures and analysis methods are presented for efficient and effective development.

• IE interfaces
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• v.17 no.spc
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• pp.37-45
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• 2004

Human factors engineering design guidelines for main control rooms(MCR) in nuclear power plants(NPP) have been applied to optimize human-machine interface(HMI) between operators and their equipment on the basis of physical, physiological and cognitive aspects. However, the HMI design for MCR is not found to be sufficient to maximize operators' performance since the operators in the MCR experience excessive stress due to the environmental factors such as inappropriate interiors and illumination. Therefore, well-designed environment of the MCR may be equally important to improve human performance in the MCR. The objectives of the study are two-fold: (1) to propose an interior design of SHIN-KORI 1 2 for pleasant and comfortable working environments, and (2) to design indirect lighting system to enhance visibility and productivity. The human factors engineering checklists were developed to examine whether or not the proposed human-environment design for SHIN-KORI 1 2 satisfies the regulations and guidelines presented by NUREG-0700 Revision 1. The implications of the human-environment design are discussed in detail.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.9-14
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• 1995

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.73-82
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• 2008

Currently an office in information society is advanced to a digitalized VDT office. The VDT office has a natural luminous system prioritizing visual perception and so importance of lighting design by artificial lighting is emphasized in the VDT office. The purpose of the study is to analyze Illumination and Luminance for lighting design by the standard of ergonomics in the VDT office. The study analyzed Illumination and Luminance in the main control room of an nuclear power plant needing a design of ergonomics ACR(Advanced Control Room) type Ling Ao phase II NPP MCR in Guangdong, China. The study examined the relativity of ACR characteristics to its operator's duties and set up an outline of lighting design, the standard of ergonomics and input data for the analysis. Thus, the study examined appropriateness with the standard of ergonomics setting up the analyzed Illumination and Luminance and drew a conclusion.