FPGA Technology and Platforms for NPP I&C systems

2020 ◽  
pp. 419-457
Author(s):  
Andriy Kovalenko ◽  
Ievgen Babeshko ◽  
Viktor Tokarev ◽  
Kostiantyn Leontiiev
Keyword(s):  
Field Programmable Gate Array ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Field Programmable ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Safety Critical Systems ◽  
New Generation ◽  
And Control ◽  
Element Base

This chapter describes an element base of new generation for NPP I&C, namely field programmable gate array (FPGA), and peculiarities of the FPGA application for designing safety critical systems. FPGA chips are modern complex electronic components that have been applied in nuclear power plants (NPPs) instrumentation and control systems (I&CSs) during the last 15-17 years. The advantages and some risks caused by application of the FPGA technology are analyzed. Safety assessment techniques of FPGA-based I&CSs and experience of their creation are described. The FPGA-based platform RadICS and its application for development of NPP I&CS is described.

Cybersecurity Case for FPGA-Based NPP Instrumentation and Control Systems

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg A. Illiashenko ◽  
Yevheniia V. Broshevan ◽  
Vyacheslav S. Kharchenko
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Security Requirements ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
International Regulations ◽  
Field Programmable ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Control

Modern industrial instrumentation and control systems (I&Cs) used in nuclear power plants (NPP) are facing more with cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, which were neglected before. Cybersecurity incidents are a subject to grow into more complex attacks with worse consequences than before. The use of field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) in such critical systems causes specific risks for ensuring of safety, as the master-property of such kind of systems, and security as a subordinate property primarily to the NPP reactor trip systems (RTS). Cybersecurity assessment results of industrial I&Cs are mainly based on subjective assessment of the expert judgment and they do not take into account all features of propagating FPGA technology. Nowadays there is a big gap in understanding how to assess and assure the security of FPGA-based NPP I&Cs (FNI&Cs). Conformance of FNI&Cs to security requirements, their verification to high-level standards often is subjective and depends on particular expert. Regulatory and certification bodies, developers and end-users of FNI&Cs are missing the understandable methodology for security assurance of such kind of systems taking into account specific context of the operating environment which allows decreasing time-to-market and thus providing benefits for all interested parties. The paper describes cybersecurity assurance technique of multi-version FNI&Cs. Requirements profile is formulated using the best practices from the following international regulations. The goal of the paper is presentation of the case-based methodology and tool of FNI&Cs cybersecurity assurance based on international regulations. Proposed methodology provides comparable and repeatable process of assurance.

Safety Issues in Computerized Medical Equipment

2011 ◽  
pp. 396-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. John Doyle
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Safety Critical ◽  
Safety Critical Systems ◽  
Critical Results

Computers now are being used increasingly in safety-critical systems like nuclear power plants and aircraft and, as a consequence, have occasionally been involved in deadly mishaps. As microcomputer technology continues to proliferate, computers are also now increasingly being used in medical equipment such as ventilators and pacemakers, sometimes with safety-critical results. This chapter discusses some of the special concerns that arise when computer technology is introduced into medical equipment, using two case studies as examples: the Therac-25 radiation therapy unit and Abbott’s patient controlled analgesia machine. Also discussed are some of the regulations that have been proposed by the (American) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help tackle the special problems that can arise when developing software-based medical equipment.

The Application of FPGA for Anticipated Transients Without Scram Mitigation System

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mao-Sheng Tseng ◽  
Hui-Wen Huang ◽  
Ming-Huei Chen ◽  
Tsung-Chieh Cheng ◽  
Hsiang-Han Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Software Faults ◽  
Control Rod ◽  
Field Programmable ◽  
Important Means ◽  
And Control

The digitalized Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system of nuclear power plants (NPP) could provide operator easily Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and more powerful overall operation capability. However, some software errors may cause a kind of Common Cause Failure (CCF). As a consequence, the event of Anticipated Transients Without Scram (ATWS) will occur. In order to assure that the plant can be shutdown safely and to follow the requirements of 10CFR50.62, the utility builds up various ATWS mitigation features in NPP. The features include Fine Motion Control Rod Drive Run In, Alternate Rod Insertion, Standby Liquid Control System, Reactor Internal Pump Trip or Runback, Feedwater Flow Runback and Inhibition of Automatic Depressurization System. This research developed an evaluation method of diverse back-up means for computerized I&C system. A diverse backup of digital I&C system is the most important means to defend against CCF and un-detectable software faults. Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) is developing a computerized I&C test facility, which is incorporated a commercial grade I&C systems with Personal Computer Transient Analyzer (PCTran)/Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR), a NPP simulation computer code. By taking the technology of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to implement the methods of ATWS mitigation, the research built up a diverse back-up of digital I&C system to expect to defend against CCF and undetectable software faults. According to the testing and evaluation, the work can be achieved the analysis of Diversity and Defense-in-Depth (D3).

A Review of the Current State of FPGA Systems in Nuclear Instrumentation and Control

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip McNelles ◽  
Lixuan Lu
Keyword(s):  
Analog Circuits ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Field Programmable ◽  
Water Reactors ◽  
And Control

A Field Programmable Gate Array, or FPGA, is a form of integrated circuit that is programmed (configured) after it has been built. These devices have recently become a topic of interest for various applications in the nuclear field. Most of the recent work put into these FPGA systems is for the purpose of Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems, but other applications include health physics, particle detectors, and pulse measurement systems. These new FPGA based systems are thought of as possible replacements for older, analog systems that are commonly used in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Many of these systems are becoming obsolete, and it can be difficult to repair and maintain them. FPGAs possess certain advantages over traditional analog circuits, as well as microprocessors, for nuclear I&C applications. This paper provides an extensive literature survey on the current research into FPGA-based systems in NPP applications, such as shutdown systems, neutron monitors, and feedwater controls. Current plans and plans for future FPGA implementations are also discussed. Research from different countries in North America, Europe and Asia is discussed, covering a variety of NPP types (CANDU, Pressurized Water Reactors, Boiling Water Reactors, etc.). The main companies and organizations involved in the FPGA research and development are examined, and a direction for future research is presented.

scholarly journals SCCharts - Language and Interactive Incremental Compilation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Motika
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Reactive Systems ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Model Transformations ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Safety Critical ◽  
Incremental Model ◽  
Software Models ◽  
Safety Critical Systems

Safety-critical systems are a subclass of reactive systems, a dominating class of computer systems these days. Such systems control the airbags in our cars, the flaps of an aircraft, nuclear power plants or pace makers. Software for these systems must be reliable. Hence, a language and tooling is needed that allows to build and maintain reliable software models. Furthermore, a reliable compiler is required to obtain decent machine-understandable and executable code from highly abstract models. This thesis presents SCCharts, a Statecharts-based synchronous and visual modeling language for specifying and designing safety-critical systems and for deriving their implementations. It elaborates on why a control-flow oriented and synchronous language is desirable and how incremental language features are chosen to flatten learning curve. It presents an interactive incremental model transformation based compilation approach termed SLIC. It shows how SLIC helps in supporting both, the modeler and the tool smith for building reliable models and maintaining a reliable compiler, respectively. A SLIC-based compiler for SCCharts including its high-level model transformations is presented. Furthermore, practicality aspects of the KIELER SCCharts language and tooling implementation complete the considerations to validate the proposed approach.

scholarly journals SCCharts - Language and Interactive Incremental Compilation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Motika
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Reactive Systems ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Model Transformations ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Safety Critical ◽  
Incremental Model ◽  
Software Models ◽  
Safety Critical Systems

Safety-critical systems are a subclass of reactive systems, a dominating class of computer systems these days. Such systems control the airbags in our cars, the flaps of an aircraft, nuclear power plants or pace makers. Software for these systems must be reliable. Hence, a language and tooling is needed that allows to build and maintain reliable software models. Furthermore, a reliable compiler is required to obtain decent machine-understandable and executable code from highly abstract models. This thesis presents SCCharts, a Statecharts-based synchronous and visual modeling language for specifying and designing safety-critical systems and for deriving their implementations. It elaborates on why a control-flow oriented and synchronous language is desirable and how incremental language features are chosen to flatten learning curve. It presents an interactive incremental model transformation based compilation approach termed SLIC. It shows how SLIC helps in supporting both, the modeler and the tool smith for building reliable models and maintaining a reliable compiler, respectively. A SLIC-based compiler for SCCharts including its high-level model transformations is presented. Furthermore, practicality aspects of the KIELER SCCharts language and tooling implementation complete the considerations to validate the proposed approach.

Dynamic Flowgraph Methodology Assessment of an FPGA-Based Postaccident Monitoring System for Westinghouse AP1000 Nuclear Power Plants

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip McNelles ◽  
Lixuan Lu ◽  
Marc-James Abi-Jaoude
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Reactor Accident ◽  
Nuclear Plants ◽  
Field Programmable ◽  
And Control ◽  
Fine Tune

A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a type of integrated circuit that is programmed after being manufactured. These FPGA-based systems are considered to be viable alternatives to replace many obsolete instrumentation and control (I&C) systems that are used in nuclear plants. This paper describes an FPGA-based lab-scale implementation of a postaccident monitoring system (PAMS), for a Westinghouse AP1000 reactor. This system will monitor vital parameters in the event of a serious reactor accident. The system reliability was analyzed using the dynamic flowgraph methodology (DFM). DFM was applied to fine-tune the design parameters by determining the potential causes of faults in the design.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document