Towards more safety. Observing synergisms in reactor behaviour

A few, but dramatized abnormal occurrences have haunted the nuclear debate on the issue of plant safety. While quality assurance and quality control mainly provide for failure-proof components and sub-assemblies, it is the man-designed and man-operated system of a nuclear power plant that makes a fool-proof achievement of safety particularly elusive. Sound ways and means of monitoring and of reacting properly to the behaviour of the highly complex, non-linear system of a nuclear power plant seems to be one of the keys to improving nuclear safety, thus giving rise to more confidence in the viability of nuclear power and less reluctance to its expansion. The paper hints at the possibility of working out integrative, automatic and low cost means of responding properly to the perturbation of a complex system. It bears on the design, licensing and, in particular, the operation of a nuclear power plant. The basis of the suggested solution stays within the existing mathematics of structural and dynamic stability, as well as within the possibilities of present-day communications services. The outcome might be a new approach to safety assurance and safety control complementary to present philosophies, and, as a practical result, a new monitoring device in the control room of a nuclear power plant. (author)