Human and Technology Integration
Goal
The goal of this research is to integrate plant personnel and innovative technologies to maximize plant operation efficiency while ensuring safety and reliability are not negatively impacted.
- Information automation – develop and demonstrate how to map data to a business purpose to support broader business automation.
- Digitalization – develop and demonstrate the process for efficient integration of digital technologies.
Outcome
Digitalization
Develop and demonstrate nuclear-specific solutions ensuring proven methods are available for the industry as it moves to a sustainable and cost-competitive digital business.
Develop comprehensive guidance for nuclear utilities considering plant modernization.
Support Integrated Operations for Nuclear (ION) and plant modernization by adding methods for digitalization optimization.
Efficient plant operation using human-system integration
Provide industry with an integrated change evaluation process that ensures proposed modernization activities maintain sufficient margins of safety and reliability.
Use a design approach that combines human systems integration and ergonomic principles to make sure users can effectively use technology as intended, enhancing their readiness to adopt digital technologies and reducing unintended risks during the modernization process.
Full nuclear plant modernization design
Develop comprehensive guidance for utilities considering full nuclear plant modernization. That is, provide nuclear utilities with modernization guidance and the tools to effectively consider and develop a plant-specific modernization strategy. This integrated solution ensures the light water reactor fleet realizes significant operations and maintenance cost savings as it modernizes and allows them to operate at an “all-in cost” well below the break-even price for electrical generation.
Planned major accomplishments
- Develop comprehensive data mapping and visualization guidance for nuclear utilities considering plant modernization.
- Provide the industry with an integrated change evaluation process that ensures proposed modernization activities maintain sufficient margins of safety and reliability.
- Develop proven evaluation methods assuring end users can use the technology as intended (i.e., enhancing the human readiness levels of these digital technologies), without introducing unintended risk through modernization.
