Multi Agent Systems Application Concept for Enhancing Reactor Safety and Operations in an Innovative SMR

The initiative for Gen IV nuclear reactors had lead many designers to devise several advanced design features to improve the visibility of inherent reactor safety targeting Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Stakeholders have identified high levels of automation and some human performance issues related to the design and operation of these reactors, despite the advancements. The complexity in multi-module man-machine interface operations, difficulties transitioning between automation and manual control workloads, MCR operator monitoring, and control navigation complexity are only a few of these issues. To overcome these concerns, it is critical that further research is required. Nowadays Multi Agent Systems (MAS) are used extensively in the industry to solve several complex engineering problems, therefore a proven verification and validation procedure is required before deploying this technology in an innovative SMR to improve safety and provide intelligent operator support. As a result this research is aimed at demonstrating the concept of how the application of this proposed technology can be verified and validated using a systems engineering approach. (author)