Advanced control rooms for boiling water reactors: The Nuclenet control complex

Nuclear power plants are progressing rapidly to provide reliable and inexpensive power in increasingly large blocks. These power plants are an extensively engineered product involving a complex array of systems and subsystems, all of which must be monitored and controlled. The complexity of these systems and their interface to other systems is now placing a severe burden on the operator. The operator of today must interface with thousands of control and display devices to monitor and control the plant. He must continuously monitor and analyze, on a selective basis, numerous variables in order to effectively control the plant. During abnormal operations, the operator must assimilate information from the vast amount of data available to him and correctly interpret and respond to the abnormal condition within a short period of time. The human capability to perform under these circumstances is rapidly becoming a critical factor in plant operations and control systems design. The General Electric Company, having been in the forefront of nuclear plant control systems design since the introduction of nuclear power to industry, has recognized this and for the past several years has been developing advanced control systems to improve the operator's interface with the plant. This paper describes the first generation of our advanced control systems and previews the next generation of designs. It discusses the design criteria used, a detailed description, and the associated benefits and advantages of what the General Electric Company calls the Nuclenet Control Complex.