REQUIREMENTS AND TEST METHODS FOR EMC QUALIFICATION TESTING OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT DIGITAL UPGRADES

摘要

One of the major components involved in maintaining an up-to-date power plant is the migration from the existing obsolete analog systems to digital platform technology. The move to digital systems is an important transition that many plants will make to support their continued operation to 60 years and beyond. Nuclear power plants have adopted digital upgrades to varying degrees on a system-by-system basis, but in general, there has not been a push to overhaul the existing analog systems and switch to purely digital platforms. These new digital systems can increase the efficiency and safety of a nuclear power plant by allowing for increased monitoring of plant processes and advanced diagnostic techniques, but the systems must be field-proven to be as reliable as their analog counterparts. One avenue that must be fulfilled is to ensure that the digital technology can coexist with the electromagnetic environment of a nuclear power plant. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have provided guidance documents on electromagnetic and radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) testing of equipment to qualify it for installation into a nuclear power plant. The NRC and EPRI documents specify the type and extent of qualification testing, both emissions and immunity, that should be performed on new equipment prior to installation. This guidance contains the necessary test methods and acceptance limits for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The "attention to detail" of the administration of the test methods will significantly impact the level of assurance of equipment EMC.