Instrumentation & Control Technologies and Continuous Process Optimization

Nuclear power plants (NPPs) rely on instrumentation and control (I&C) systems extensively for performing protection, control, monitoring and display functions. I&C systems are installed throughout the plant and are vital parts of both normal and emergency operations. Although analog I&C and measurement systems provided the above functions satisfactorily in the past, NPPs are facing challenges in several I&C areas with ageing and obsolete components and equipment. With license renewals and power uprates, the long-term operation and maintenance of obsolete I&C systems may not be a cost-effective and reliable option. The effort needed to maintain or increase the reliability and useful life of existing I&C systems may be greater in the long run than that of modernizing I&C systems or replacing them completely with new digital systems. The increased functionality of the new I&C systems can also open up new possibilities to better support the operation and maintenance activities in the plant.

The importance of these issues has led the IAEA to organize technical meetings and to develop technical documents on a wide reange of I&C related subjects.

Upcoming Events

Technical Meeting on “Electric Grid Reliability and Interface with Nuclear Power Plants” to be held in Vienna, Austria, 4-6 August 2009. Terms of Reference; Participation Form.
2nd Workshop on “Applications of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays in Nuclear Power Plants” to be hosted by the Research and Production Corporation "Radiy" in Kirovograd, Ukraine, on 29 September – 1 October 2009. Participation Form

Recent Events

The 22nd Meeting of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation (TWG-NPPCI) was held in Vienna on 20-22 May 2009. TWG-NPPCI Terms of Reference; Agenda.
IAEA Regional Workshop on "Impact of Digital I&C Technologies on the Operation and Licensing of NPPs (RER/4/030)", Portoroz, Slovenia, 4-8 May 2009. Workshop CD Working Material

Meeting CD Working Material

Technical Meeting on “In-Service Inspection (ISI) Qualification of Nuclear Power Plants; 3rd International Workshop of In-Service Inspection Qualification Bodies” was held in Vienna, Austria on 15-16 October 2008, organized jointly by the IAEA and the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (EC JRC), Institute for Energy (IE), Petten, Netherlands. The objective of the Qualification Bodies’ meeting was to revisit the field of inspection qualification, inspection validation, performance demonstration, and to exchange information on lessons learned in ISI applications and qualification in nuclear power plants. Meeting CD Working Material
The 1st Workshop on “Applications of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays in Nuclear Power Plants” was hosted by Electricite de France in Chatou, France, on 8-10 October 2008. The workshop introduced the FPGA technology and its applications in various industries. Emphasis was given to the following topics: applications in safety systems of NPPs, licensing, available products, and lessons learned in I&C modernization projects using FPGA technology. Meeting CD Working Material
IAEA Workshop on Neutron Fluctuations, Reactor Noise, and Their Applications in Nuclear Reactors, hosted by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, on 22-26 September 2008, Meeting CD Working Material
First Research Coordination Meeting (RCM) of the Coordinated Research Programme (CRP) on "Advanced Surveillance, Diagnostics, and Prognostics Techniques Used for Health Monitoring of Systems, Structures, and Components in Nuclear Power Plants",27-30 May 2008, Vienna, Austria The Proceedings of the meeting will be posted on this site in early 2009. Description of CRP Scope, Form of Proposal for Research Agreement, Agenda.
Technical Meeting on "Lessons Learned in Large Modernization Projects in NPP I&C Systems", 6-9 May 2008, Vienna, Austria, The Proceedings of the meeting will be posted on this site in early 2009. Terms of Reference, Final Agenda, Book of Abstracts.
IAEA Regional Workshop on "Modernization Projects of NPP Instrumentation and Control Systems Related to Power Uprates and Licence Renewals Project (RER/4/027)", Portoroz, Slovenia, 14-18 April 2008. Workshop CD Working Material
Technical Meeting on "Implementing and Licensing Digital I&C Systems and Equipment in NPPs, 26-30 November 2007, Vienna, Austria.
Technical Meeting on “Integration of Analog and Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems in Hybrid Main Control Rooms at Nuclear Power Plants”, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 29 October - 2 November 2007, hosted by Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL). Meeting CD Working Material
Technical Meeting on “Common-Cause Failures in Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems of Nuclear Power Plants”, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 19-21 June 2007, hosted by the US NRC, DOE, EPRI, and NEI. Meeting CD Working Material
Technical Meeting on "Increasing Power Output and Performance of Nuclear Power Plants by Improved Instrumentation and Control Systems", Prague, Czech Republic, 29-31 May 2007, hosted by I&C Energo. Meeting CD Working Material
The 21st Meeting of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation (TWG-NPPCI), Vienna, Austria, 23-25 May 2007. Meeting CD Working Material
Technical Meeting on "Cyber Security of Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation, Control and Information Systems", Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, 17-20 October 2006, hosted by the Idaho National Laboratory. Meeting CD Working Material
Joint IAEA–EPRI Workshop on "Modernization of Instrumentation and Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants", Vienna, Austria, 3-6 October 2006. Workshop CD Working Material

Documents under Development

IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report (draft) on "Implementing Digital I&C Systems in the Modernization of Nuclear Power Plants"D-NP-T-1.4 (to be published in 2009)
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report (draft) on "Protecting Against Common-Cause Failures in Digital I&C Systems", D-NP-T-1.5 (to be published in 2009)
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report (draft) on "Intergration of Analog and Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems in Hybrid Control Rooms",D-NP-T-3.10 (to be published in 2009)
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report (draft) on "Generic I&C issues relevant to systems important to safety in NPPs - a reference report on core knowledge of I&C systems and functions", D-NP-T-3.12 (to be published in 2009)
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report (draft) on "Interaction of Grid Characteristics with Design and Performance of Nuclear Power Plants", D-NG-T-3.8 (to be published in 2010)
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report (draft) on "Results of the Coordinated Research Programme titled Advanced Surveillance, Diagnostics, and Prognostics Techniques Used for Health Monitoring of Systems, Structures, and Components in Nuclear Power Plants", D-NP-T-3.14 (to be published in 2011)

Recently Published Documents

IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report on “On-line Monitoring for Improving Performance of Nuclear Power Plants; Part 1: Instrument Channel Monitoring”, NP-T-1.1.
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report on “On-line Monitoring for Improving Performance of Nuclear Power Plants; Part 2: Process and Component Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics”, NP-T-1.2.
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series Report on “The Role of I&C Systems in Power Uprating Projects in Nuclear Power Plants”, NP-T-1.3.

Points of Interests

Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation (TWG - NPPCI)
International Database on Digital I&C Products, Platforms and Projects in Nuclear Power Plants: IDIP (Draft), Entry Form (Draft).
Questionnaire to collect information on I&C modernization projects in Nuclear Power Plants Entry Form (Draft).

Past Technical Meetings

Technical Meeting on Increasing Instrument Calibration Interval through On-line Calibration Technology, Halden, Norway, 27-29 September 2004, hosted by OECD Halden Reactor Project, Meeting CD Working Material.
Technical Meeting on On-Line Condition Monitoring of Equipment and Processes in NPPs Using Advanced Diagnostic Systems, Knoxville, TN, USA, 27-30 June 2005, hosted by Analysis and Measurement Services (AMS), Meeting CD Working Material.
Technical Meeting on the Impact of Modern Technology on Nuclear Power Plant I&C Systems, Chatou, France, 13-15 September 2005, hosted by EdF, Meeting CD Working Material.
Technical Meeting on Implementing an Licensing Digital I&C Systems and Equipment in Nuclear Power Plants, Espoo, Finland, 22-24 November 2005, hosted by VTT, Meeting CD Working Material.
20th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation, Vienna, Austria, 23-35 May 2005. Meeting CD Working Material