Process Disturbance Analyzer for Nuclear Reactors

This paper details the Process Disturbance Analyzer (PDA) for 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). The various parameters that assist safe operation of the reactor are to be monitored continuously to aid post event/disturbance analysis of the plant. Some critical analog and digital signals from circuit breakers, power supply, variable speed drive etc., are fast in nature and are to be scanned at 100ms and checked for cause of the event. When an analog signal crosses a set-point, status of digital signal changes or combination of both is defined as an event. PDA is used for fast data acquisition, event detection & storage of data on event and analyzing these disturbances occurring in nuclear power plant. PDA consists of a Versa Module Europa (VME) bus based embedded system with MC68020 processor for fast data acquisition and also a display station. It stores data for 5 minutes prior to the event and for 5 minutes later to the event. PDA is required to know the initiating event and its consequences on other signals to ensure minimum downtime and hence increasing the availability of plant.