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NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, March-April 2015
manages the services provided by the
computer/server resources and tightly
couples them to the nuclear applications.
From the nuclear applications perspective,
when the processing environment is
replaced its operating environment is
unchanged.
The Refresh design methods include,
but are not limited to,
• managing the nuclear application
software platform as operating
system and third party software
change,
• testing, integrating and supporting
operating system version and service
pack releases with the current
application suite,
• ongoing testing and validation of
the nuclear application software on
new generations of computer/server
hardware,
• recognizing, managing and adapting
to the changing workstation and
display market,
• retaining connectivity to third party
hardware and software, and
• structuring all nuclear application
software to evolve with modern
languages
and
programming
techniques.
The optimum Refresh frequency is
every seven to ten years driven by the
availability/serviceability of computer/
server hardware. Refreshing the system
consists of installing and testing the
existing nuclear application software
in the new server environment at the
integrator’s facility and then installing
the servers at the plant. During plant
acceptance testing the servers operate in
parallel with the existing system while
using live plant data to verify functional
equivalency. Finally, when testing is
satisfied, operation is simply transferred
to the Refreshed environment.
Conclusion
Exhibit 3 represents the safe
operational limits for a reliable PPC.
Following the Refresh process, utilities
can maintain peak performance of the
PPC through the end of generation and
decommissioning.
Safe and efficient plant operation
relies on all plant systems functioning as
a single integrated unit. The PPC system
is present to provide the plant operators
with a clear vision of how the plant is
functioning in real time and supply key
information during periods of changing
conditions. If the PPC is compromised
then so is the operator’s ability to take
clear, concise and timely actions to
control the plant. Certainly the plant can
operate without a fully functioning PPC.
Equally certain is the degraded quality of
plant operation that results.
The Refresh strategy is a paradigm
change from the current best practices
followed by the industry. It is an
overdue advancement of the application
of technology by the nuclear utilities.
Refresh is a risk-free method to reduce
both capital and operating costs while
providing the support framework for
future regulatory and operational plant
enhancements. The combination of aging
PPC infrastructure, retiring knowledge
base,
w engineering
staff make this the right time to adopt a
PPC management strategy implementing
Refresh.
Contact: Don Chase, Scientech,
Nuclear
Division,
Curtiss-Wright
Corporation, 26 Holmgren Road,
Stratham, NH 03885; telephone: (603)
Plant Process...
Exhibit 3 describes the probable life cycle of computing and I/O components
with respect to the increasing failure frequency. PPCs installed in 1985 have
six times the failure rate of those installed in 2005. Currently 70 plants are
operating with a heightened risk of PPC computer failure.
