Seneca, s.c. - the digital revolution is finally reach of American nuclear power plants.
Some time in the coming weeks, technicians will finish installing digital controls for systems of operation and safety of a reactor of the nuclear power plant in Western South Carolina, a move being closely watched by the other nuclear complexes.
In a country where a digital mixer can be purchased for about $30 Wal-Mart, the Oconee nuclear power reactor will be the first 104 reactors in United States not controlled do not with the same analog technology introduced tapes of the world and the rules of the slide.
It took so long to go to Central nuclear digital because regulators wanted assurances the new control systems were as reliable as old and cannot be compromised by hackers.
"Systems in plants now, they do an excellent job." "Plants are very safe - they do the work for years," said Joe Naser, technical Direction with the Electric Power Research Institute.
Going digital is designed to save money. Most of the systems in a nuclear power plant are monitors with four sensors. If two of them were out-of-whack readings, engineers often have plant "voyage", or stop, until the problem is solved. If a nuclear power plant sits idle for a day, it can cost a company of public services more than 2 million of $. This is not detached change, even for a business as a plant operator based Duke Energy North Carolina, which earned 1.3 billion in 2010.
Unlike a human engineer, which can take only to the extent both a tool, the digital system supports thousands of readings at any time. The computer can understand instantly if a sensor is broken and ignore it.
"These utilities need to keep the plants running." Having unexpected outages of an analog system is not doing what we need to do - it is a financial risk, "said Jere Jenkins, Director of the laboratory of radiation at the University of Purdue."
While the digital control of nuclear power plants is widespread in Europe and in Asia, the United States has been on the sidelines the digital revolution has brought iPods Americans for their music, films on the Internet and tiny computers linked to satellites to help find the store that sells these things of streams to their cell phones.
The digital systems of nuclear power will provide operators with a lot more data on the activities of the plant and a level of precision impossible with an analog system, which often requires the movement of components to get things done.
Other utilities are closely watching. The nuclear power station early in the United States went online with the analog controls in 1996, the same year DVD have been introduced to the Japan. More than half of nuclear power plants of the nation are at less than 30 years, and only three have come since 1990.
"It's to the point where you cannot replace equipment anymore," Jenkins said.
Other nuclear power plants will be tempted to follow the lead of Oconee as soon as they can afford the conversion goes well, said David Lochbaum, nuclear safety of the Union of Concerned Scientists project Director.
"There are a lot of eyes on this.". If it goes well, you'll see probably many people in the queue of realization. If it is not well, they will wait for Duke Energy smooth out the kinks, "said Lochbaum.
The Oconee nuclear plant operators will probably meet some unexpected problems, as the new system is implemented, but they should all be minor because the tests in-depth, said Lochbaum.
In addition, Duke Energy said that he made so that its engineers can manually take on all digital process for problems.
One of the major concerns of regulators was the software used to run the new controls could be hackées of outside plant concerns. Documents submitted to the nuclear regulatory Commission showed Duke Energy software provider has designed a system with no external network connection. Any communication between the reactor operators and the system is highly restricted and must be authorized by the operators of the plant.
The new 1 engine control system is part of the $ 2 billion in modernization of Duke Energy to maintain its three reactors at the station, which opened in the early 1970s, run safely for the next 30 years. Control Panel installing coincides with an interruption of in-flight refueling provided. 2 Reactor will get its new digital Panel during the year next refueling fuel, and a reactor 3 upgrade is planned for 2013. All three reactors only new panels cost $ 250 million.
Oconee nuclear power reactor operators have spent the months of training on an exact replica of what the new control panel will look like. And it looks a lot like the old system.
"One of the objectives is to make the life of the operators, I say easy, but more focused on the main aspects of the work of the operators." As a pilot, you want him to focus on the aircraft of flight - you do not want him spending all day trying to get the cabin pressure to the right, "said Jeff Hekking, a reactor operator senior who helped test the new system.
In a recent simulation, Hekking and two other operators deal with a problem with the water that cools the reactor and maintains the nuclear reaction failed. Dinging bells, similar to what someone would use in old movies to assign a hotel Groom, mark when things are first going offside. The rear suspension engineers and let it get worse. Dozens of lights small red rectangle green as control bars fall back into the heart of the reactor to shut down the nuclear reaction. Warning sirens sound, but they are sieved wails, screaming not claxons.
Engineers then begin to control the situation, push buttons and pulling levers. Orders are entered and repeated to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Reactor operators work on 12 hours straight. At least three are in each reactor control room at any time, even to eat their meals at the grey desks behind flat screen monitors. Others are the maintenance, control of components or other tasks, but may be introduced into the room if necessary.
Hekking, 40, is an operator of reactor for 19 years and is used for working with components manufactured at the time where he was born next to the latest technology, as implemented at Oconee control panels.
"Nuclear power is a really interesting world, said Hekking." "We have both the oldest and the newest and coolest".
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Jeffrey Collins is available at http://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP
