119 lines
5.9 KiB
TeX
119 lines
5.9 KiB
TeX
\section{Goals and Outcomes}
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% GOAL PARAGRAPH
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The goal of this research is to develop a methodology for creating autonomous
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hybrid control systems with mathematical guarantees of safe and correct
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behavior.
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% INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Hook
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Nuclear power plants require the highest levels of control system reliability,
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where failures can result in significant economic losses, service interruptions,
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or radiological release.
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% Known information
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Currently, nuclear plant operations rely on extensively trained human operators
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who follow detailed written procedures and strict regulatory requirements to
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manage reactor control. These operators make critical decisions about when to
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switch between different control modes based on their interpretation of plant
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conditions and procedural guidance.
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% Gap
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However, this reliance on human operators prevents the introduction of
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autonomous control capabilities and creates a fundamental economic challenge for
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next-generation reactor designs. Emerging technologies like small modular
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reactors face significantly higher per-megawatt staffing costs than conventional
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plants, threatening their economic viability.
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% Critical Need
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What is needed is a way to create autonomous control systems that can safely
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manage complex operational sequences with the same level of assurance as
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human-operated systems, but without requiring constant human supervision.
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% APPROACH PARAGRAPH Solution
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To address this need, we will combine formal methods from computer science with
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control theory to build hybrid control systems that are correct by construction.
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% Rationale
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Hybrid systems use discrete logic to switch between continuous control modes,
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similar to how operators change control strategies. Existing formal methods can
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generate provably correct switching logic from written requirements, but they
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cannot handle the continuous dynamics that occur during transitions between
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modes. Meanwhile, traditional control theory can verify continuous behavior but
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lacks tools for proving correctness of discrete switching decisions.
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% Hypothesis
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By synthesizing discrete mode transitions directly from written operating
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procedures and verifying continuous behavior between transitions, we can create
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hybrid control systems with end-to-end correctness guarantees. If we can
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formalize existing procedures into logical specifications and verify that
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continuous dynamics satisfy transition requirements, then we can build
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autonomous controllers that are provably free from design defects.
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% Pay-off
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This approach will enable autonomous control in nuclear power plants while
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maintaining the high safety standards required by the industry.
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% Qualifications
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This work is conducted within the University of Pittsburgh Cyber Energy Center,
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which provides access to industry collaboration and Emerson control hardware,
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ensuring that solutions developed are aligned with practical implementation
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requirements.
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% OUTCOMES PARAGRAPHS
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If this research is successful, we will be able to do the following:
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\begin{enumerate}
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% OUTCOME 1 Title
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\item \textbf{Translate written procedures into verified control logic.}
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% Strategy
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We will develop a methodology for converting existing written operating
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procedures into formal specifications that can be automatically synthesized
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into discrete control logic. This process will use structured intermediate
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representations to bridge natural language procedures and mathematical
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logic.
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% Outcome
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Control system engineers will be able to generate verified mode-switching
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controllers directly from regulatory procedures without requiring expertise
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in formal methods, reducing the barrier to creating high-assurance control
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systems.
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% OUTCOME 2 Title
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\item \textbf{Verify continuous control behavior across mode transitions.}
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% Strategy
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We will establish methods for analyzing continuous control modes to ensure
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they satisfy the discrete transition requirements. Using a combination of
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classical control theory for linear systems and reachability analysis for
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nonlinear dynamics, we will verify that each continuous mode can safely
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reach its intended transitions.
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% Outcome
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Engineers will be able to design continuous controllers using standard
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practices while iterating to ensure broader system correctness, proving that
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mode transitions occur safely and at the right times.
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% OUTCOME 3 Title
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\item \textbf{Demonstrate autonomous reactor startup control with safety
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guarantees.}
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% Strategy
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We will apply this methodology to develop an autonomous controller for
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nuclear reactor startup procedures, implementing it on a small modular
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reactor simulation using industry-standard control hardware. This
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demonstration will prove correctness across multiple coordinated control
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modes from cold shutdown through criticality to power operation.
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% Outcome
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We will provide evidence that autonomous hybrid control can be realized in
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the nuclear industry with current control equipment, establishing a path
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toward reducing operator staffing requirements while maintaining safety.
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\end{enumerate}
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% IMPACT PARAGRAPH Innovation
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The innovation in this work is the unification of discrete synthesis and
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continuous verification to enable end-to-end correctness guarantees for hybrid
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systems.
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% Outcome Impact
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If successful, control engineers will be able to create autonomous controllers
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from existing procedures with mathematical proof of correct behavior.
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High-assurance autonomous control will become practical for safety-critical
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applications.
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% Impact/Pay-off
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This capability is essential for the economic viability of next-generation
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nuclear power. Small modular reactors represent a promising solution to growing
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energy demands, but their success depends on reducing per-megawatt operating
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costs through increased autonomy. This research will provide the tools to
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achieve that autonomy while maintaining the exceptional safety record required
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by the nuclear industry.
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