Nucleonic Measurement Integral System ObsolescenceFree

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Nucleonic Measurement Integral System
Obsolescence-Free
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Scope of Presentation

• System Presentation
• Design Evolution
• How to guarantee Obsolescence-Free
• How to increment Reliability
• System Life Cycle
• Qualification Process

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Nucleonic Instrumentation Channels

• Source/Start-up channel
• Intermediate/Power channel
• Wide Auto Range Linear channel
• Gamma Linear Channel
• SPND Linear Channel

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Nucleonic Instrumentation Channel Ranges
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Design Evolution

• Evolutionary design from the early 1970s
• Technologic Evolution Phases
• Originally Based on Discrete Technology
• Incorporation of LSI
• Incorporation of Integrated Analogue Technology
• Incorporation of ASIC/FPGA

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Design Evolution

• New Features and Functions
• Add-in Simulators
• Auto-testing Capability
• Discrete Digital and Analogue Interfaces
• Remote configuration capacity
• Digital communication Interfaces

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Key for Obsolescence Free
Simplified Hierarchical Structure of a System
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Key for Obsolescence Free

• Within this hierarchical structure and in case of
  In-House Designs,
• Critical elements are the parts, generally
  subject to third party suppliers,
• Without control in
• Availability
• Validity
• Possible Obsolescence

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Key for Obsolescence Free

• Design Evolution based on
• Well proven technology
• Second and Third Party Provision Sources of parts
• Stockpiling of critical parts

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Key for Obsolescence Free

• In this way it is possible to assure
• Validity of designs
• Improvement/enhancement of features
• Compatibility of the components backwards

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How to increment Reliability

• Design Premises,
• From a safety standpoint
• Reliability
• Simple failure criterion
• Fail Safe
• Fault Tolerant
• Control over Common-Cause Failures
• Qualification for use in nuclear installations,
  particularly in reactors
• High Quality
• Robustness

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How to increment Reliability

• Design Premises,
• From a performance standpoint
• Accuracy
• Precision
• Availability
• High response speed
• Long life cycle
• Short and long term stability
• Capability to communicate with other plant
  systems for the transmission of parameters
  measured and processed by the system

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How to increment Reliability

• How to achieve these design premises

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How to increment Reliability

• How to achieve these design premises

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System Life Cycle
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System Life Cycle

• The life cycle of the system, divided into their
  different stages or phases, is carefully
  conducted, while the necessary design
  modifications are duly supervised through
  standard methods.
• All activities are organized within the System
  Life Cycle with the implementation of a program
  that includes the following plans
• Project Management Plan
• Design/Development Plan
• Verification Validation Plan
• Configuration Management Plan
• Quality Assurance Plan

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Qualification Process

• In turn, a component qualification plan ensures
  the safe application of the systems in nuclear
  installations. This plan is based on the IEEE
  qualification standard for the Nuclear
  Engineering area.

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Qualification Process

• The qualification plan is adjusted to the type of
  system from a safety standpoint, following IAEAs
  classification

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Qualification Process
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Qualification Process

• Hence, the qualification plans include the
  following activities and application of standards
  in accordance with the system class

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Qualification Process

• Safety Systems
• IEEE 1E applicable standards (IEEE 323 and 344)
• FMEA (IEEE 352)
• EMC/EMI-type tests / Compliance Certification
• IEEE 7.4.3.2, IEEE/ANSI Standard Application
  Criteria for Programmable Digital Computer
  Systems in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power
  Generating Stations

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Qualification Process

• Safety-Related Systems
• Type Test or Conformance Certificates
• EMC/EMI Compliance Certification
• Seismic and Vibration Compliance Certification
• IEEE 7.4.3.2, IEEE/ANSI Standard Application
  Criteria for Programmable Digital Computer
  Systems in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power
  Generating Stations

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Qualification Process

• The integral nucleonic measurement system is
  specifically classified as Safety System and it
  is qualified as Class 1E component, following the
  methodology recommended by the standard IEEE 323.

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Qualification Process
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Nucleonic Channels

• The following is the full measurement chain line
  
  
• Source or Start-up channel
• Intermediate channel (IC)
• Power channel (IC or CIC)
• Wide Range log channel
• Wide Linear auto-range channel (mainly used for
  automatic reactor power control)
• Gamma measurement channel (may be used as global
  reactor power corrector through the 16N measuring
  method)
• SPND channel, (mainly used for in-core
  instrumentation)

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Nucleonic Channels

• These chains generally respond to the same
  configuration, with special features given by the
  characteristics of the sensor and the measuring
  principle.

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Nucleonic Channels

• Basic general chain configuration Signal
  detection
• Detector
• Initial signal processing
• Pulse amplifier
• Charge pre-amplifier
• Pre-amplification
• Processing
• Logarithmic or linear amplifier (with or without
  self-range capacity)
• Quadratic amplifier (Campbellian mode)
• Period or Rate extractor
• Rate meter

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Nucleonic Channels

• Basic general chain configuration Signal
  detection
• Auxiliary elements
• High voltage power supply units
• Low voltage power supply
• Communication units
• Discrete signal electric isolation units
• Digital signals
• Analogue signals
• Digital communication units (Field Buses)
• Physical support for the units
• Cabinet mechanical specifications
• Input-output connector specifications

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Nucleonic Channels

• SOURCE/START-UP CHANNEL
• The Source/Start-Up channel is used to monitor
  core neutron flux from the earliest stages of
  reactor operation (neutron source level), up to 5
  measurement decades.

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Nucleonic Channels

• INTERMEDIATE AND POWER CHANNEL
• The Intermediate and Power Channel is used to
  monitor core neutron flux over more than 6
  decades to cover the reactors power operation
  range.

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Nucleonic Channels

• WIDE RANGE CHANNEL
• The Wide Range Channel is used to monitor the
  reactors neutron flux from intermediate level to
  125 of full Wide Range level, and is capable of
  feeding the neutron flux evolution to the Reactor
  Power Regulation System to allow automatic
  reactor power control.

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Nucleonic Channels

• GAMMA LINEAR CHANNEL
• A Gamma linear channel is used for gamma flux
  measurement.

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Nucleonic Channels

• SELF POWERED NEUTRON DETECTOR UNIT SPND
• The Self-Powered Neutron Detector Unit is used to
  monitor the reactors neutron flux over more than
  7 decades.