Field Programmable Gate Array Technology for NPP I&Cs - Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation and Control Systems for Safety and Security - page 144

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

in new NPP designs. FPGA technology allows
implementing any safety and control functions
that are typical in existing NPPs or in any new
designs, therefore providing a technology-neutral
implementation tool.

More detailed analysis of advantages and risks of
FPGA technology application should be fulfilled
taking into account an experience of companies
(similar RPC Radiy) producing and implementing
FPGA-based NPP I&C systems. Proposed ap-
proaches can be strengthened by development of
support tools that will allow to automate analysis
process.
The future research and development directions
are the following:

REFERENCES

Babeshko, E., et al. (2009). Extended depend-
ability analysis of information and control systems
by FME(C)A-technique: Models, procedures,
application. In Proceeding of IEEE DepCoS
RELCOMEX Conference . IEEE.

• Development of a tool that supports joint
application of the diferent techniques
(RBD, FMECA, gap analysis).

Babeshko, E., et al. (2010). Approaches to NPP
I&C systems dependability assessment: Analysis
and implementation. In Proceedings of Interna-
tional Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power
Plants (ICAPP. '10). ICAPP.

• Implementation of tool-based calculation

of metrics for choosing the optimal set of
applicable methods to ensure reliability
and safety of FPGA-based I&C systems.

Babeshko, E. et al. (2011). Combined implementa-
tion of dependability analysis techniques for NPP
I&C systems assessment. Journal of Energy and
Power Engineering , 5 (42), 411-418.

CONCLUSION

Nowadays, FPGA-based platforms are used in
I&C modernization projects at various NPPs for
a wide range of safety and control functions and
systems, such as reactor trip system, reactor power
control and limitation system, engineered safety
features actuation system, rod control system,
nuclear island control system, and turbine island
control system.
The above applications represented large-scale
modernization projects, however, the technology
can provide solutions for an even larger variety of
applications, such as 'pin-to-pin' or like-for-like
type replacement of obsolete circuit board compo-
nents, reverse engineering, emulation of functions
performed by obsolete computers, replacement
of components and sub-systems, and building
full I&C systems or diverse back-up systems

Barkalov, A. et al. (2006). Design of control units
with programmable logic . University of Zelena
Gura.

Kharchenko, V., et al. (2001). Methodology of NPP
I&C system algorithms and software veri-fication
expert analysis. In Proceedings of Workshop on
Licensing and Operating Experience of Computer-
Based I&C Systems . Hluboka-nad-Vltavou, Czech
Republic: Academic Press.

Kharchenko, V., et al. (2004). The technique
and the experience of expertise of software for
NPP: Instrumentation and control systems. In
Proceeding by 7th International Conference on
Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management
and European Safety and Reliability Conference .
Berlin, Germany: Academic Press.