Research reactor instrumentation and control technology. Report of a technical committee meeting

The majority of research reactors operating today were put into operation 20 years ago, and some of them underwent modifications, upgrading and refurbishing since their construction to meet the requirements for higher neutron fluxes. However, a few of these ageing research reactors are still operating with their original instrumentation and control systems (I and C) which are important for reactor safety to guard against abnormal occurrences and reactor control involving startup, shutdown and power regulation. Worn and obsolete I and C systems cause operational problems as well as difficulties in obtaining replacement parts. In addition, satisfying the stringent safety conditions laid out by the nuclear regulatory bodies requires the modernization of research reactors I and C systems and integration of additional instrumentation units to the reactor. In order to clarify these issues and to provide some guidance to reactor operators on state-of-art technology and future trends for the I and C systems for research reactors, a Technical Committee Meeting on Technology and Trends for Research Reactor Instrumentation and Controls was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 4 to 8 December 1995. This publication summarizes the discussions and recommendations resulting from that meeting. This is expected to benefit the research reactor operators planning I and C improvements. Refs, figs, tabs