Integration technique of digital I&C replacement and its Critical Digital Review procedure

Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) developed a digital Instrumentation and Control (I&C) replacement integration technique on the basis of requirement of the three existing nuclear power plants (NPPs), which are Chin–Shan (CS) NPP, Kuo–Sheng (KS) NPP, and Maanshan (MS) NPP, in Taiwan, and also developed the related Critical Digital Review (CDR) procedure.The digital I&C replacement integration technique includes: (1) Establishment of Nuclear Power Plant Digital Replacement Integration Guideline, (2) Preliminary Investigation on I&C System Digitalization, (3) Evaluation on I&C System Digitalization, and (4) Establishment of I&C System Digitalization Architectures. These works can be a reference for performing I&C system digital replacement integration of the three existing NPPs of Taiwan Power Company (TPC).A CDR is the review for a critical system digital I&C replacement. The major reference of this procedure is EPRI TR-1011710 (2005) “Handbook for Evaluating Critical Digital Equipment and Systems” which was published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). With this document, INER developed a TPC-specific CDR procedure. Currently, CDR becomes one of the policies for digital I&C replacement in TPC. The contents of this CDR procedure include: Scope, Responsibility, Operation Procedure, Operation Flow Chart, CDR review items. The CDR review items include the comparison of the design change, Software Verification and Validation (SV&V), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Evaluation of Diversity and Defense-in-depth (D3), Evaluation of Watchdog Timer, Evaluation of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Evaluation of Grounding for System/Component, Seismic Evaluation, Witness and Inspection, Lessons Learnt from the Digital I&C Failure Events. A solid review can assure the quality of the digital I&C system replacement.

► A digital I&C replacement integration technique have been developed.
► Establishment of Nuclear Power Plant Digital Replacement Integration Guideline.
► Preliminary Investigation on I&C System Digitalization.
► Evaluation on I&C System Digitalization.
► Establishment of I&C System Digitalization Architectures.