scholarly journals Effects of Automation for Emergency Operating Procedures on Human Performance in a Nuclear Power Plant

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Qing ◽  
Zhaopeng Liu ◽  
Yaqin Tang ◽  
Hong Hu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Shen Yang ◽  
Geng Bo ◽  
Li Dan

According to the research of nuclear power plant human error management, it is found that the traditional human error management are mainly based on the result of human behavior, the event as the point cut of management, there are some drawbacks. In this paper, based on the concept of the human performance management, establish the defensive human error management model, the innovation point is human behavior as the point cut, to reduce the human errors and accomplish a nip in the bud. Based on the model, on the one hand, combined with observation and coach card, to strengthen the human behavior standards expected while acquiring structured behavior data from the nuclear power plant production process; on the other hand, combined with root cause analysis method, obtained structured behavior data from the human factor event, thus forming a human behavior database that show the human performance state picture. According to the data of human behavior, by taking quantitative trending analysis method, the P control chart of observation item and the C control chart of human factor event is set up by Shewhart control chart, to achieve real-time monitoring of the process and result of behavior. At the same time, development Key Performance Indicators timely detection of the worsening trend of human behavior and organizational management. For the human behavior deviation and management issues, carry out the root cause analysis, to take appropriate corrective action or management improvement measures, so as to realize the defense of human error, reduce human factor event probability and improve the performance level of nuclear power plant.


Author(s):  
Ladislav Vesely ◽  
Vaclav Dostal

Accident at Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant significantly affected the nuclear industry at time when everybody was expecting the so called nuclear renaissance. There is no question that the accident has at least slowed it down. Research into this accident is taking place all over the world. In this paper we present the findings of research on Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in relation to the Czech Republic. The paper focuses on the analysis of human performance during the accident. Lessons learned from the accident and main human errors are presented. First the brief factors affecting the human performance are discussed. They are followed by the short description of activities on units 1–3. The key human errors in the accident mitigation are then identified. On unit 1 the main error is wrong understanding and operation of isolation condenser. On unit 2 the main errors were unsuccessful depressurization with subsequent delay of coolant injection. On unit 3 the main error is the shutdown of high pressure cooling injection system without first confirming that different means of cooling are available. These errors lead to fuel damage. On unit 1 the fuel damage was probably impossible to prevent, however on unit 2 and 3 it could be probably prevented. The lessons learned for the Czech Republic were presented. They can be summarizes as follows: be sure that plant personnel can and knows how to monitor and operate the crucial plant components, be sure that the procedures on how to fulfill the critical safety functions are available in the symptomatic manner for situations when there is no power available at the plant, train personnel for these situations and have sufficient human resource available for these situations.


Author(s):  
Pengfei Gu ◽  
Zhifang Wang ◽  
Jianbo Zhang

Recently Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) is becoming more important to the safety of nuclear power plant (NPP). As the reliability of the NPP equipments have been increased more higher, HRA should be developed in order to guarantee the better safety of NPP. By the collection of human performance about operators in main control room of NPP, especially in accident situation, it is very important to enhance the human reliability. This paper chooses Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) and Steam Generator Tube Rupture (SGTR) as the initiating events, and base on this, some loss of other equipment or system have been added. Then the process that the operators deal with the accidents has been recorded in the accident situation in order to get reasonable human performance data. After we analyzed all of these video by some tools such as eye tracking tool, some items have been found which are very important to the human reliability such as training level, operation task, human-machine interface, surrounding, team work, etc. According to the analysis of the human performance result, we have evaluated the computerized human machine interface. As a result, it also could be benefit to improve the design of NPP, specially the design of main control room.


Author(s):  
Felicia A. Dura´n ◽  
Gregory D. Wyss

Material control and accountability (MC&A) operations that track and account for critical assets at nuclear facilities provide a key protection approach for defeating insider adversaries. MC&A activities, from monitoring to inventory measurements, provide critical information about target materials and define security elements that are useful against insider threats. However, these activities have been difficult to characterize in ways that are compatible with the path analysis methods that are used to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of a site’s protection system. The path analysis methodology focuses on a systematic, quantitative evaluation of the physical protection component of the system for potential external threats, and often calculates the probability that the physical protection system (PPS) is effective (PE) in defeating an adversary who uses that attack pathway. In previous work, Dawson and Hester observed that many MC&A activities can be considered a type of sensor system with alarm and assessment capabilities that provide reccurring opportunities for “detecting” the status of critical items. This work has extended that characterization of MC&A activities as probabilistic sensors that are interwoven within each protection layer of the PPS. In addition, MC&A activities have similar characteristics to operator tasks performed in a nuclear power plant (NPP) in that the reliability of these activities depends significantly on human performance. Many of the procedures involve human performance in checking for anomalous conditions. Further characterization of MC&A activities as operational procedures that check the status of critical assets provides a basis for applying human reliability analysis (HRA) models and methods to determine probabilities of detection for MC&A protection elements. This paper will discuss the application of HRA methods used in nuclear power plant probabilistic risk assessments to define detection probabilities and to formulate “timely detection” for MC&A operations. This work has enabled the development of an integrated path analysis methodology in which MC&A operations can be combined with traditional sensor data in the calculation of PPS effectiveness. Explicitly incorporating MC&A operations into the existing evaluation methodology provides the basis for an effectiveness measure for insider threats, and the resulting PE calculations will provide an integrated effectiveness measure that addresses both external and insider threats. The extended path analysis methodology is being further investigated as the basis for including the PPS and MC&A activities in an integrated safeguards and security system for advanced fuel cycle facilities.


Author(s):  
Gyrd Skraaning ◽  
Greg A. Jamieson

Objective: Test the automation transparency design principle using a full-scope nuclear power plant simulator. Background: Automation transparency is a long-held human factors design principle espousing that the responsibilities, capabilities, goals, activities, and/or effects of automation should be directly observable in the human–system interface. The anticipated benefits of transparency include more effective reliance, more appropriate trust, better understanding, and greater user satisfaction. Transparency has enjoyed a recent upsurge in use in the context of human interaction with agent-oriented automation. Method: Three full-scope nuclear power plant simulator studies were conducted with licensed operating crews. In the first two experiments, transparency was implemented for interlocks, controllers, limitations, protections, and automatic programs that operate at the local component level of the plant. In the third experiment, procedure automation assumed control of plant operations and was represented in dedicated agent displays. Results: Results from Experiments 1 and 2 appear to validate the human performance benefits of automation transparency for automation at the component level. However, Experiment 3 failed to replicate these findings for automation that assumed control for executing procedural actions. Conclusion: Automation transparency appears to yield expected benefits for component-level automation, but caution is warranted in generalizing the design principle to agent-oriented automation. Application: The automation transparency design principle may offer a powerful means of compensating for the detrimental impacts of hidden automation influence at the component level of complex systems. However, system developers should exercise caution in assuming that the principle extends to agent-oriented automation.


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