Human Factors Design,Verification,and Validation for Two Types of Control Room Upgrades at a Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

This paper describes the NUREG-0711 based human factors engineering (HFE) phases and associated elements required to support design, verification and validation (V&V), and implementation of a new plant process computer (PPC) and turbine control system (TCS) at a representative nuclear power plant. This paper reviews ways to take a human-system interface (HSI) specification and use it when migrating legacy PPC displays or designing displays with new functionality. These displays undergo iterative usability testing during the design phase and then undergo an integrated system validation (ISV) in a full scope control room training simulator. Following the successful demonstration of operator performance with the systems during the ISV, the new system is implemented at the plant, first in the training simulator and then in the main control room.

References

International Standards Organization. (1998). Ergonomic Requirements for Office Work with Visual Display Terminals (VDTs)—Part 11: Guidance on Usability, ISO 9241-11. Geneva: International Standards Organization.

International Standards Organization. (2010). Ergonomics of Human-System Interaction—Part 210: Human Centred Design for Interactive Systems, ISO 9241-210. Geneva: International Standards Organization.

O’Hara

J.M.

Higgins

J.C.

Fleger

S.A.

Pieringer

P.A.

(2012). Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model, NUREG-0711, Rev. 3. Washington, DC: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.