Progress of I&C system and control room design in TEPCO nuclear power plants

Three generation of Tokyo Electric Power Co.´s (TEPCO´s) standardized control room design, along with the I&C technologies which support the improvements among these control room designs, are discussed. The first-generation-type control room design features large size control room panels, which, after the Three Mile Island Accident, have been modified. The second-generation-type control room panels incorporate CRT-based operation and enhanced automation features. These control room design improvements were made possible through the use of powerful process computers and highly reliable digital controllers. The third-generation-type control room design, developed for application in the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) plants, has the goals of enhancing the reliability of the operation during emergencies and optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the operating crew. The development of the ABWR control room design has been guided by the operation experience of the second-generation-type control panels and analysis of the operators´ workload analsis as well as the progression of state of the art technologies.<>