TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CONTROL AND INSTRUMENTATION (TWG - NPPCI)

The Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation (TWG–NPPCI) is a working group of Member States that operates within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The role of the TWG-NPPCI is to assist the IAEA in identifying and initiating activities enabling organizations and personnel working with instrumentation and control to make the best use of the available and emerging technologies to meet the plant operational and safety needs in an economic manner. In this way it is assumed that the competitiveness of the nuclear power programs in the Member States can be improved. In this mission the TWG identifies and promotes activities that would assist I&C experts at nuclear utilities, licensing authorities, vendors and research organizations:

to exchange technical and management information on control and instrumentation systems to support decision making and problem solving at the nuclear power plants;
to introduce new technologies in an safe, efficient and economic manner;
to justify the safety of I&C equipment and demonstrate how safety targets are being met;
to identify equipment performance and qualification targets and demonstrate that they are being met;
to exchange technical and management information on methods for implementing new technology as well as performing modernization projects and upgrades.

The TWG-NPPCI has a long history as one of the most active technical working groups of IAEA. During its existence it has initiated, arranged, and supervised many symposia, specialist meetings and co-ordinated research programmes. It has also been instrumental in the creation of various technical reports providing guidance for nuclear power plants, regulators and vendors within the I&C field. Through its network of national delegates it has provided a stable planning platform for the activities as well as efficient channels of communication among I&C experts in the IAEA Member States. The presentation of national reports at the regular TWG meetings have provided an important basis for a discussion of needs for future IAEA activities within the I&C area. Recent achievements include various reports giving guidance for I&C modernisations at the nuclear power plants. The TWG has participated actively in discussions on subjects for IAEA technical meetings and in sessions of international conferences and symposia.

The scope of work covers all aspects of the life cycle of I&C systems and equipment from feasibility study through commissioning, testing, licensing, maintenance, and operation to replacement and decommissioning. The work thus not only covers technical details of the systems and equipment, but it also includes the processes by which they are to be developed, designed, licensed, qualified, installed, and maintained. Related areas, such as reactor physics, human-system interface technologies, and human factors engineering also fall into the scope of work of the TWG-NPPCI. Some examples of the topics in the work program are:

Performance monitoring of instrumentation, control, and protection systems;
Surveillance and diagnostics systems;
Testing dynamic response and calibration of instruments;
On-line condition monitoring;
Improved I&C in power uprating projects;
Implementing and licensing digital I&C systems;
Integrating analog and digital I&C systems in hybrid main control rooms;
Methodologies for I&C systems specification and design;
Electrical supplies;
Operator support systems;
Human-machine interface including control room and emergency facilities;
Classification and qualification of I&C;
Maintenance and repair of I&C systems;
Reliability of hardware and software components;
Ageing of I&C cables and components;
Modernization projects of I&C systems;
Testing, verification and validation of I&C systems;
Common-cause failures in digital I&C systems;
Implementation, installation and commissioning procedures for I&C;
Instrumentation for normal and accident situations;
Signal processing techniques and systems;
Automation and manual control;
Integrated use of information technology and computers.

MEMBERS of TWG-NPPCI (established in 1970)

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Republic of South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, IEC TC45, OECD/NEA, European Commission JRC.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The 20^th biennial regular meeting of the TWG-NPPCI was held in Vienna on 23-35 May 2005. The meeting report is available at Meeting CD Working Material 2005.

The 21^st biennial regular meeting of the TWG-NPPCI was held in Vienna on 23-35 May 2007. The meeting report is available at Meeting CD Working Material 2007. New Terms of Reference.

CONTACT

For more information please contact Mr. Oszvald Glöckler, Scientific Secretary of the TWG-NPPCI.

This page was updated on 22-AUG-2007.