General Provisions - Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation and Control Systems for Safety and Security - page 1

Chapter 1

General Provisions

Michael Yastrebenetsky
State Scientiic and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, Ukraine

Yuri Rozen
State Scientiic and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, Ukraine

ABSTRACT

This chapter contains deinitions of the main terms in this topic—Instrumentation and Control (I&C)
system, individual and overall I&C system, central part of the I&C system and peripheral equipment,
Software-Hardware Complex (SHC), Commercial Of The Shelf (COTS) products, and equipment family
(platforms). Diferences between the SHC and I&C system are explained. General information about I&C
systems, based on the use of up-to-date digital methods and facilities of obtaining, transferring, process-
ing, and displaying of data, is provided. The main peculiarities of such systems, which are described in
more detail in further chapters of this topic and illustrated by the given examples of implementation of
speciic systems, are considered.

INTRODUCTION

components, including Field Programmable Gate
Arrays (FPGA), distributed architecture of the
I&C with local computer nets for exchange of
information, use of optoelectronic channels of
communications, etc.
The object of the chapter is to explain basic
notions required for better understanding of further
chapters of the topic to readers.

I&C systems play a significant role in assurance
of safety and security of nuclear power plants
(NPP). These systems perform automatic con-
trol of technological processes and equipment in
operational modes; support operating personnel
that monitor equipment condition and/or control
processes; take part in performance of functions
related to prevention of nuclear accidents, which
could harm the population, personnel, environ-
ment and NPP itself; archive, display and record
data required for analysis of causes, progression
of accident and recovery of safe controlled mode
at NPP. In this connection, the role of I&C sys-
tems is steadily increasing, while improvement
of digital technology, new complex electronic

BACKGROUND

Formation of a new scientific and technical trend is
nearly always followed with discussions, occurred
due to initial uncertainty of used terminology.
I&C systems intended for nuclear power plants
are not an exception. There are several glossaries