110 lines
5.4 KiB
TeX
110 lines
5.4 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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This reliance on human operators prevents autonomous control and creates a
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fundamental economic barrier for next-generation reactor designs. Small modular
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reactors face per-megawatt staffing costs far exceeding those of 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 method to create autonomous control systems that safely
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manage complex operational sequences with the same assurance as human-operated
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systems, but without constant human supervision.
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% APPROACH PARAGRAPH Solution
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To address this need, we will combine formal methods with control theory to
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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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mirroring 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 existing
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procedures can be formalized into logical specifications and continuous dynamics
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verified against transition requirements, then autonomous controllers can be
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built 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. The University
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of Pittsburgh Cyber Energy Center's partnership with Emerson provides access to
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industry-standard control hardware, ensuring that developed solutions align with
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practical implementation requirements from the outset.
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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 generate verified mode-switching controllers
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directly from regulatory procedures, lowering the barrier to high-assurance
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control 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 discrete transition requirements. Using classical control
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theory for linear systems and reachability analysis for nonlinear
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dynamics, we will verify that each continuous mode safely reaches its
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intended transitions.
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% Outcome
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Engineers will design continuous controllers using standard practices
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while iterating to ensure broader system correctness, proving that mode
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transitions occur safely and at the correct 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
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operation.
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% Outcome
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We will demonstrate that autonomous hybrid control can be realized in the
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nuclear industry with current equipment, establishing a path toward
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reduced operator staffing 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 unifying discrete synthesis with continuous
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verification to enable end-to-end correctness guarantees for hybrid systems.
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% Outcome Impact
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If successful, control engineers will create autonomous controllers from
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existing procedures with mathematical proof of correct behavior. High-assurance
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autonomous control will become practical for safety-critical applications.
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% Impact/Pay-off
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This research will provide the tools to achieve that autonomy while maintaining
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the exceptional safety record the nuclear industry requires.
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