Emerging Technologioes in Instrumentation and Controls and Their Potential Regulatory Implications for Nuclear Power Plants

This paper provides a summary of eight instrumentation and control (&C) technology areas, with applications in nuclear power plants (NPPs), that were the focus of a recent study performed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC.) The state of the technology s application in NPPs, along with potential regulatory impact(s), are discussed. The technology focus areas are: (1) sensors and measurement systems, (2) communications media and networking, (3) microprocessors and other integrated circuits, (4) computational platforms, (5) surveillance, diagnostics, and prognostics, (6) human-system interactions, (7) high-integrity software, and (8) I&C architectures in new plants. The regulatory implications of these focus areas with regard to their application in NPPs are also discussed.