POWER November 2011 - 83

NUCLEAR I&C
as new technologies are integrated into the
work methods. It will also reduce the risk
to and burden on any one operating utility
by providing a continuous peer review of
the developments.
■ Build a digital environment that sufficiently
addresses cybersecurity.
The Path Forward
A new national research program is under
way that has been designed to address
these three specific industry concerns about
expanding the use of digital architectures.
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has
lead responsibility for the Advanced Instrumentation,
Information, and Control
Systems Technologies research pathway
within the Light Water Reactor Sustainability
(LWRS) Program.
The LWRS Program is a research and
development (R&D) program sponsored
by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
and performed in close collaboration with
industry R&D and improvement programs
(as defined in INL's FY2009-2013 Light
Water Reactor Sustainability Research and
Development Program Plan, INL/MIS0814918).
Its purpose is to provide the technical
foundations for licensing and managing
the long-term, safe, and economical operation
of existing nuclear power plants. The
DOE's program focus is on longer-term
and higher-risk/reward research that contributes
to the national policy objectives of
energy security and environmental security.
The specific concern addressed by this program
is that large-scale I&C obsolescence
could become a life-limiting issue for the
current nuclear operating fleet.
To provide guidance for this research
program, INL formed the Advanced Instrumentation,
Information, and Control (II&C)
Technologies Utility Working Group. The
Utility Working Group is currently composed
of 10 nuclear utilities; new members
are added as they express interest in joining.
The utilities are typically represented
by individuals with responsibility for longterm
I&C upgrade strategy or business innovation
for site programs.
INL develops new digital technologies
within the context of pilot projects. Individual
pilot projects are hosted by willing
nuclear utilities that have an interest in a
particular technology. The technologies
developed in individual pilot projects together
compose the overall integrated
digital environment that will serve as the
platform for transformative business innovation.
Thus, the pilot projects allow the
industry to collectively integrate these new
technologies into work activities one at a
time and validate them over multiple operNovember
2011 | POWER
ating plants, to the benefit of all. The new
digital environment is thereby proven one
technology at a time and is gradually built
up over sufficient time to prudently manage
the change.
INL provides the structured research
program and expertise in plant systems
and processes, digital technologies, human
factors science, and cybersecurity. The
utilities, through their participation in the
Utility Working Group, develop a collective
vision of this digital operating environment
and set the priority and timing of developments
by their individual sponsorship of
pilot projects. Those utilities hosting pilot
projects provide a project cost-share in
terms of their own time and expenses, expertise
in the plant systems and work process
methods, and access to needed plant
facilities. This arrangement has a number
of distinct advantages, such as:
■ Ensuring that the end-state vision for plant
modernization is shared by a significant porProven
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POWER November 2011

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