• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.653-664
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• 2013

The design of computer-based instrumentation and control (I&C) systems is determined by the allocation of I&C functions to I&C systems and components. Due to the characteristics of computer-based technology, component failures can negatively affect several I&C functions, so that the reliability proof of the I&C systems requires the accomplishment of I&C system design analyses throughout the I&C life-cycle. On one hand, this paper proposes the restructuring of the sequential IEC 61513 I&C life-cycle according to the V-model, so as to adequately integrate the concept of verification and validation. On the other hand, based on a metamodel for the modeling of I&C systems, this paper introduces a method for the modeling and analysis of the effects with respect to the superposition of failure combinations and event sequences on the I&C system design, i.e. the temporal change of physical structure is analyzed. In the first step, the method is concerned with the modeling of the I&C systems. In the second step, the method considers the analysis of temporal change of physical structure, which integrates the concepts of the diversity and defense-in-depth analysis, fault tree analysis, event tree analysis, and failure mode and effects analysis.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.266-271
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• 2014

The Electromagnetic Interference(EMI) generating from corona discharge of transformer area can interference the digital Instrument and Control(I&C) systems located nearby transformers. When the potential gradient of the electric field around the conductor is high enough to form a conductive region but not high enough to cause electrical breakdown to nearby objects, the EMI of corona discharge emits with the conducted and radiated noise and it interferences the signals of the I&C systems. Since digital I&C systems have an efficiency and competitive price, the analog I&C systems have been upgraded and displaced with the digital I&C systems but which have less EMI Immunity. There was no assessment to I&C systems by EMI generating corona discharge nearby transformers. When the safety-related I&C systems are installed in plants, the verification of equipment EMI should be done not in site-specific test but in test facilities. There are the need to do the site-specific EMI evaluation of corona discharge nearby transformers. This paper assesses the margin between plant emission limits and the highest composite plant emission of corona. When the non safety-related I&C systems are placed in transformer area, it suggests the appropriate radiated susceptibility level to EMI of corona discharge.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.697-708
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• 2012

The majority of instrumentation and control (I&C) systems in today's nuclear power plants (NPPs) are based on analog technology. Thus, most existing I&C systems now face obsolescence problems. Existing NPPs have difficulty in repairing and replacing devices and boards during maintenance because manufacturers no longer produce the analog devices and boards used in the implemented I&C systems. Therefore, existing NPPs are replacing the obsolete analog I&C systems with advanced digital systems. New NPPs are also adopting digital I&C systems because the economic efficiencies and usability of the systems are higher than the analog I&C systems. Digital I&C systems are based on two technologies: a microprocessor based system in which software programs manage the required functions and a programmable logic device (PLD) based system in which programmable logic devices, such as field programmable gate arrays, manage the required functions. PLD based systems provide higher levels of performance compared with microprocessor based systems because PLD systems can process the data in parallel while microprocessor based systems process the data sequentially. In this research, a bistable trip logic in a reactor protection system (RPS) was developed using very high speed integrated circuits hardware description language (VHDL), which is a hardware description language used in electronic design to describe the behavior of the digital system. Functional verifications were also performed in order to verify that the bistable trip logic was designed correctly and satisfied the required specifications. For the functional verification, a random testing technique was adopted to generate test inputs for the bistable trip logic.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.10
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• pp.1852-1858
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• 2007

To Increase availability and to enhance the safety, the modernization of Instrumentation & Control (I&C) systems is considered. The extended use of the digital technology lets nuclear power plants(NPPs) to replace their old analog systems with some proven digital systems. To adapt digital equipment to plants effectively and systematically, however, there must be an essential prerequisite, which is to evaluate current I&C equipment. This paper shows a practical methodology to evaluate the current status and reliability of I&C systems of NPPs using Reliability Evaluation System(RES) before performing upgrades or replacements for systems. The proposed method was applied to KORI Unit 2. The proposed method shows the current status of operating I&C systems effectively for upgrading I&C systems.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2010

At the end of last year, Korean nuclear power plants, APR-1400 and a research reactor have been contracted to build plants at United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Since 1959, a historical background of nuclear technologies in Korea is summarized. The safety requirements for Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems in Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) are discussed. Specific descriptions on the typical safety classification of I&C systems, the definitions of the electrical class 1E and the countermeasures against common caused failures are provided. And summaries of typical I&C systems such as the protection systems, the control systems, the instrumentations, the monitoring systems and a control room in NPP are introduced. Strict requirements on the development of the digital computer systems in nuclear applications are described.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.3694-3703
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• 2021

Instrumentation and Control systems (I&C) play a significant role in nuclear power plants (NPP) and other safety critical systems (SCS). We have conducted a rigorous study and discussions with experienced practitioners worldwide the strategy for the development of I&C systems to investigate the several aspects related to their dependability. We discussed with experienced practitioners that work on nuclear domain with the intention of knowing their approach, they use day-to-day for the development of such systems. The aim of this research is to obtain to provide guidance to those building I&C systems of NPP and have implications on state engineering licensure boards, in the determination of legal liability, and in risk assessment for policymakers, corporate governors, and insurance executives.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.1791-1798
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• 2019

Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems of nuclear power plants (NPPs) have been continuously digitalized. These systems have a critical role in the operation of nuclear facilities by functioning as the brain of NPPs. In recent years, as cyber security threats to NPP systems have increased, regulatory and policy-related organizations around the world, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC), have emphasized the importance of nuclear cyber security by publishing cyber security guidelines and recommending cyber security requirements for NPP facilities. As described in NRC Regulatory Guide (Reg) 5.71 and KINAC RS015, challenge response authentication should be applied to the critical digital I&C system of NPPs to satisfy the cyber security requirements. There have been no cases in which the most robust response authentication technology like challenge response has been developed and applied to nuclear I&C systems. This paper presents a challenge response authentication mechanism for a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system used as a control system in the safety system of the Advanced Power Reactor (APR) 1400 NPP.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.4367-4381
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• 2023

Nuclear power plants are increasingly being equipped with digital I&C systems. Although some probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) models for the digital I&C of nuclear power plants have been constructed, there is currently no specific internationally agreed guidance for their modeling. This paper presents an initiative by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency called "Digital I&C PSA - Comparative application of DIGital I&C Modelling Approaches for PSA (DIGMAP)", which aimed to advance the field towards practical and defendable modeling principles. The task, carried out in 2017-2021, used a simplified description of a plant focusing on the digital I&C systems important to safety, for which the participating organizations independently developed their own PSA models. Through comparison of the PSA models, sensitivity analyses as well as observations throughout the whole activity, both qualitative and quantitative lessons were learned. These include insights on failure behavior of digital I&C systems, experience from models with different levels of abstraction, benefits from benchmarking as well as major contributors to the core damage frequency and those with minor effect. The study also highlighted the challenges with modeling of large common cause component groups and the difficulties associated with estimation of key software and common cause failure parameters.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.3451-3457
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• 2010

Cyber security assessment is the process of determining how effectively an entity being assessed meets specific cyber security objectives. Cyber security assessment helps to measure the degree of confidence one has and to identify that the managerial, technical and operational measures work as intended to protect the I&C systems and the information it processes. Recently, needs for cyber security on digitalized nuclear I&C systems are increased. However the overall cyber security program, including cyber security assessment, is not established on those systems. This paper presents the methodology of cyber security assessment which is appropriate for nuclear I&C systems. This methodology provides the qualitative assessments that may formulate recommendations to bridge the security risk gap through the incorporated criteria. This methodology may be useful to the nuclear organizations for assessing the weakness and strength of cyber security on nuclear I&C systems. It may be useful as an index to the developers, auditors, and regulators for reviewing the managerial, operational and technical cyber security controls, also.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.84-97
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• 2020

This paper aims to develop an optimized inventory management method for safety critical Instrument and Control (I&C) components. In this regard, the paper focuses on estimating the consumption rate of I&C components using demand forecasting methods. The target component for this paper is the Foxboro SPEC-200 controller. This component was chosen because it has highest consumption rate among the safety critical I&C components in Korean OPR-1000 NPPs. Three analytical methods were chosen in order to develop the demand forecasting methods; Poisson, Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Bootstrapping. The results show that the GLM gives better accuracy than the other analytical methods. This is because the GLM considers the maintenance level of the component by discriminating between corrective and preventive.