9.9 KiB
| authors | citekey | publish_date | journal | volume | issue | pages | last_import | ||||||||
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stevensOpportunitiesChallengesResearch2024 | 2024-12-01 | Nuclear Technology | 210 | 12 | 2257-2273 | 2025-07-23 |
Indexing Information
Published: 2024-12
DOI 10.1080/00295450.2024.2344903 #Microreactor, #digital-twin, #remote-operation
#ToRead
[!Abstract] As the nuclear industry develops new advanced reactor technologies, many companies are embracing this advancement by pursuing the development of microreactors. The term microreactor generally refers to a nuclear reactor with an operating power of 20 MW(thermal) or less. The power range of microreactors makes them appealing for many use cases, such as powering remote communities, mining sites, and military bases. Most of the microreactor designs being pursued are expected to incorporate remote facility operations into the final product. However, no framework has yet been developed to determine what remote operations systems require for reliable, resilient, and secure operation of a microreactor. This work identifies the research needs for challenges that are unique to remote operations and monitoring for microreactors, specifically regarding instrumentation and control, communication methods, regulatory requirements, and operational policies. The types of commands and sensor measurements that must be transmitted between the facilities, as well as methods for verifying the trustworthiness of these signals, are assessed. This work evaluates the security, reliability, and performance requirements that must be met when considering the selection of communication hardware and protocols for use in remote operations. Also, an assessment was performed to study how remote operations fit within current regulatory requirements and what may need to be updated in regulatory policy to allow for remote operation. Finally, the operational contingencies unique to remote operations that must be in place for responses to abnormal events are identified. This paper identifies the challenges and research opportunities within the areas of importance for the design of remote operation systems.>[!seealso] Related Papers
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!Notes on Papers/Opportunities, Challenges, and Research Needs for Remote Microreactor Operations.md
Highlights From Zotero
[!fail] This ain't right Microreactors are being considered for use in remote locations, which introduces a unique set of challenges. There is uncertainty concerning development costs, undefined licensing requirements, and the ability of microcompetitive reactors to be cost 2024-12-25 11:54 am
[!fail] This ain't right Implementing remote operations for microreactors has the potential to greatly improve the economics of the facility. 2024-12-25 11:54 am
[!fail] This ain't right so it may be difficult to find the number of qualified staff that would be necessary for onsite operation. 2024-12-25 11:54 am
[!fail] This ain't right A semi-autonomous remote operating system could allow for operation from a centralized location while also reducing the necessary number of staff. It could even be possible to operate and monitor multiple microreactor sites from one centrally located remote operating center. 2024-12-25 11:56 am
[!fail] This ain't right While remote operations applications for other industries do exist, they have not been pursued in the nuclear industry where heightened safety concerns for nuclear applications produce caution. 2024-12-25 6:59 pm
[!fail] This ain't right This paper discusses the challenges and research needs in four focus areas: instrumentation and control (I&C), communications, regulation, and human factors. 2024-12-26 8:07 am
[!fail] This ain't right remote operation and monitoring of microreactors are crucial for the successful application of microreactor technology. 2024-12-26 8:10 am
[!fail] This ain't right with specific technological constraints or high-cost, next-best alternatives. 2024-12-26 8:12 am
[!fail] This ain't right Historically, primary costs drivers of nuclear plants have included construction management and onsite labor.[ 2024-12-26 8:12 am
[!done] Important Remote operation of microreactors can improve these significant cost drivers by reducing construction costs (by eliminating the need to build a complete control system onsite) and labor costs (because many microreactors could be operated simultaneously from a centralized hub in an area with lower labor costs). 2024-12-26 8:12 am
[!fail] This ain't right Early adoption of any technology is critical for its continued success in the commercial space. 2024-12-26 8:13 am
[!fail] This ain't right Remote operation capabilities, as enabled by digital-twin technology, may stand as a make-or-break factor for microreactor economic competitiveness for early adopters. 2024-12-25 12:03 pm
[!fail] This ain't right A remote operation system for a microreactor intended to power a mining site may require different sensors to obtain the information needed for operation than a microreactor powering a hospital, for instance. 2024-12-25 12:03 pm
[!fail] This ain't right Another essential aspect of the remote operation system in determining its I&C requirements would be the level of automation desired for the system. 2024-12-25 12:04 pm
[!fail] This ain't right A low level of automation integrated with a remote operations system may involve an operator at the remote operations center sending a power-level request to the reactor, while an automated control system for the reactor that maneuvers the reactivity control actuators to positions that meet the requested power level. A high level of automation, integrated with a remote operations system, may replicate an autonomous control system located at the reactor, making power-level decisions and executing the power change without human involvement except for human monitoring of the performance of the autonomous system. 2024-12-25 12:04 pm
[!fail] This ain't right Ramuhalli and Cetiner discussed many concepts for operation,[ [14] autonomous such as the various requirements, concepts, and potential approaches for autonomous microreactor operation. A key concept for these operation systems is the degree of automation, which is increased by gradually incorporating more autonomy, where the system has the ability to “reason” and make decisions on operations that can be performed without human input or guidance, to the system. Increased autonomy of operation increases the potential for machine error, but reduces the need for human intervention. It is important to find an ideal level of autonomy for the remote operation system that considers the tradeoffs involving reduced staffing, system complexity, operaetc.[ tional flexibility, 2024-12-25 12:04 pm
[!fail] This ain't right its economic benefit by allowing for a reduction in staffing requirements and increasing the number of microreactors that could be monitored from one remote operations facility. 2024-12-26 12:45 pm
[!highlight] Highlight Sheridan. 2024-12-26 12:46 pm
[!done] Important The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) provides guidelines for automation in reactor operations 0700.[ [17] in section 9 of NUREG-0 However, it has been noted that if consideration is limited to these guidelines, they would not “align with long-term economic and commercial goals of the advanced reactor community.”[ 2024-12-26 12:47 pm
[!fail] This ain't right Defining the system’s autonomous control levels will help identify the necessary sensor measurements to be transmitted from the reactor to the remote operations system. 2024-12-26 12:48 pm
[!fail] This ain't right Higher levels of autonomy (more detailed commands) would lead to a more complex verification system. 2024-12-26 12:48 pm
[!fail] This ain't right The communication system that supports remote operation of a microreactor must also support the operational requirements for remote monitoring and control, the reliability requirements for integration with power systems, and the security requirements for protecting the integrity and availability of the system. 2024-12-25 12:05 pm
[!fail] This ain't right While remote operations are common in many industries, the fact that the proposed operation of a microreactor would include a remotely operated critical infrastructure industrial control system (ICS) makes the security and reliability of the system of utmost importance. 2024-12-26 12:50 pm
[!fail] This ain't right Standard best practices for securing traffic across networks will also help reduce the risk of cybersecurity events. H 2024-12-26 1:00 pm
[!done] Important Historically, the power system leverages masterslave, unencrypted protocol schemes that enable fast, easy access to data. However, these systems were designed to be closed loop, isolated from the Internet. Now, best practices recommend protocols that use encryption, authentication, and nonrepudiation of transmitted information 2024-12-26 1:01 pm
[!done] Important These standard practices help ensure the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data. 2024-12-26 1:12 pm
[!done] Important digital-twin technology can be used to validate that the sensor data received match the expected measurements, and the received commands do not jeopardize safe operation of the system. 2024-12-26 1:12 pm
[!done] Important represents application layer additions to the design of the communication network. 2024-12-26 1:20 pm
[!done] Important Checking the data with digital-twin intelligence can help identify problems in the communication network that may be relevant for operator awareness or response. 2024-12-26 1:20 pm