Applications of Modern Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants.

A new generation of automation and control systems is currently becoming commercially available in the power plant market which, because of their incorporation of microprocessors and bus data transmission systems, represent a major step forward in innovation. The application of these systems meets today's requirements and solutions, for the number of measurements to be performed has increased five or sixfold in the past few years, and the number of drive systems to be controlled has doubled or even tripled. Requirements to be met by process management systems have become vastly more complicated: peak load operation, short startup times, improved communication, and rising safety and reliability requirements, especially in nuclear power plants. Control concepts have been developed for the area relevant to reactor safety and for the whole of the plant, which make full use of the possibilities offered by plant systems. More stringent demands must be met especially in the areas of handling, communication, testing capability, improved function, and flexibility and modular design in the safety sector.