Research on Special Analysis of Verification and Validation in Nuclear Power Instrument and Control System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingbin Liu ◽  
Yan Feng ◽  
Ning Qiao ◽  
Yunbo Zhang ◽  
Zhongqiu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Software Verification ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Security Analysis ◽  
Verification And Validation ◽  
Special Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Traceability Analysis ◽  
And Control ◽  
Criticality Analysis

At present, there is still lack of detailed software V&V guidance standards in China, while a number of US nuclear power units and I&C platform are introduced and applied. So the software verification and validation work in our country usually cited the methods in IEEE 1012. With reference to the requirements of IEEE 1012, the V&V process of the software can be mainly divided into three forms: audit evaluation, special analysis and testing. This paper focuses on these parts and gives a detailed description and annotations of the technical methods and their life cycle stages in IEEE 1012, which cover multiple V&V phases. At the same time, the author puts forward his own understanding of the special analysis approach and procedure, such as criticality analysis, interface analysis, traceability analysis, hazard analysis, risk analysis and security analysis, and gives his own experience and related recommendations.

Effective Software Verification and Validation Approach for Nuclear Power Plant Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Yang ◽  
Jun Ding ◽  
Huifang Miao ◽  
Jianxiang Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Software Verification ◽  
Verification And Validation ◽  
Common Cause ◽  
Digital Instrumentation ◽  
And Control ◽  
Software Verification And Validation

All 1000 MW nuclear power plants currently in construction or projected to-be-built in China will use the digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems. Safety and reliability are the ultimate concern for the digital I&C systems. To obtain high confidence in the safety of digital I&C systems, rigorous software verification and validation (V&V) life-cycle methodologies are necessary. The V&V life-cycle process ensures that the requirements of the system and software are correct, complete, and traceable; that the requirements at the end of each life-cycle phase fulfill the requirements imposed by the previous phase; and the final product meets the user-specified requirements. The V&V process is best illustrated via the so-called V-model. This paper describes the V-model in detail by some examples. Through the examples demonstration, it is shown that the process detailed in the V-model is consistent with the IEEE Std 1012-1998, which is endorsed by the US Regulatory Guide 1.168-2004. The examples show that the V-model process detailed in this paper provides an effective V&V approach for digital I&C systems used in nuclear power plants. Additionally, in order to obtain a qualitative mathematical description of the V-model, we study its topological structure in graph theory. This study confirms the rationality of the V-model. Finally, the V&V approach affording protection against common-cause failure from design deficiencies, and manufacturing errors is explored. We conclude that rigorous V&V activities using the V-model are creditable in reducing the risk of common-cause failures.

FMEDA-Based NPP I&C Systems Safety Assessment: Toward to Minimization of Experts’ Decisions Uncertainty

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Yasko ◽  
Eugene Babeshko ◽  
Vyacheslav Kharchenko
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Electronic Components ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Safety And Reliability ◽  
The One ◽  
And Control ◽  
Criticality Analysis

There are many techniques for the Nuclear Power Plants Instrumentation and Control (NPP I&C) systems safety assessment. Each of them is suitable for specific types of I&C systems and life cycle stages. Though general procedures of techniques application are specified by standards and described by guides, there is no universal solution that could be unambiguously applied to any NPP I&C system. The Failure Modes, Effects and Diagnostics/Criticality Analysis (FME(D/C)A) is the one that is most often used. Using this technique, the process of assessment is not trivial because of dimensionality problem that is especially critical for modern NPP I&C systems that contain many complex electronic components. Another challenge is the need of compliance to varying requirements of standards. Furthermore, modern I&C systems are based on different platforms (FPGA, microcontrollers). Most of safety and reliability assessment techniques, including mentioned FME(D/C)A, are based on expertise and thereby results are dependent on experts’ decisions very much. This could be a serious challenge, because it is very difficult to find universal experts that have sufficient experience to be equally qualified in different electronic components (FPGA, microcontrollers etc.) used in modern I&C systems. The goal of this paper is to analyze the ways of automation of FMEDA-based NPP I&C systems safety assessment and minimization of uncertainty degree of experts’ decisions. Possible experts’ errors and the uncertainty degree of their decisions are analyzed. We propose integration of all existing FMEA-based techniques into XME(D/C)A that includes Functional FMEA, Design FMEA, Software FMEA, Hardware FMEA etc. Such approach allows performing more comprehensive analysis. Developed tool AXMEA (Automated XMEA) represents an integrated solution that provides the automation of stages of FMEDA technique applied to NPP I&C. The case study is the application of proposed technique and tool during SIL3 certification of the modular RadICS™ platform.

Composition of Safety and Cyber Security Analysis Techniques and Tools for NPP I&C System Assessment

2020 ◽  
pp. 204-220
Author(s):  
Ievgen Babeshko ◽  
Kostiantyn Leontiiev
Keyword(s):  
Cyber Security ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Security Analysis ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Safety Level ◽  
Methods And Techniques ◽  
And Control

Safety assessment of nuclear power plant instrumentation and control systems (NPP I&Cs) is a complicated and resource-consuming process that is required to be done so as to ensure the required safety level and comply to normative regulations. A lot of work has been performed in the field of application of different assessment methods and techniques, modifying them, and using their combinations so as to provide a unified approach in comprehensive safety assessment. Performed research has shown that there are still challenges to overcome, including rationale and choice of the safety assessment method, verification of assessment results, choosing and applying techniques that support safety assessment process, especially in the nuclear field. This chapter presents a developed framework that aggregates the most appropriate safety assessment methods typically used for NPP I&Cs.

Software of Safety Important I&C Systems

2014 ◽  
pp. 146-177
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav Kharchenko ◽  
Vladimir Sklyar ◽  
Andriy Volkoviy
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Software Verification ◽  
Software Requirements ◽  
Software Components ◽  
Software Life Cycle ◽  
Regulatory Documents ◽  
And Control

Features of software as a component of Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems are analyzed. Attention is paid to the importance of functions performed by software and hazards of such software. Requirements for characteristics of software as a component of I&C systems are analyzed. Different regulatory documents are considered in order to disclose common approaches to the use of dedicated software and off-the-shelf software components. Classification of software, as well as classification of requirements, is described. Criteria of selection and structuring of requirements, as well as criteria for software verification, are defined. As long as the characteristics of software components directly depend on the quality of the processes of software development and verification, requirements for software life cycle processes are considered. The second part of this chapter is dedicated to evaluation of software for nuclear power plant I&C system. Criteria and principles of evaluation are observed. Evaluation of the characteristic of software as a product and software development and verification processes are considered.

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