ML19206B407
| ML19206B407 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 02/17/1976 |
| From: | Podolak E NRC OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT |
| To: | Barker R NRC OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19206B405 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7905100018 | |
| Download: ML19206B407 (3) | |
Text
p UNI NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION W ASHING TON, D.
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Robert F. Barker PF0 FOS.E 'IO S'IUDY 'IEE FF1S.8ILITl Cf.Mi NPC CC.??RD AMD CCUTFOL CEMIER EUR hUCLEAR FS.C93FS.GD TF.CSKFTJiIICU OF SPECIAL b70CLRR fMTERIALS An GC corand cnd control centar (CCC) ';culd monitor the status of each nuclear rnactor and shipment of special nuclear material.
The outputs of reactor functions, envicca. ental monitors, operator responses, emergency respcase status, treffic control, safeguards, etc., cculd be monitored by cc: puter control and displayed in the-CCC.
The CCC might look ach like a iGSA or militcry control center and, while certainly using their t2chnology, could perhaps 'ce con-structed from military surplus. The CCC could cperate on several levels.
(1) Informatica gathering and monitoring (2) Dispatch investigstors to scene of problem (3) Fobilize and dispatch emergency raspcace teams to scene (4) Actively participate in corrective actions by advising reactor operator (shipper) in real ti m.
'Ihe list is in ascending order of involvement.
It is possi* ole that NEC would not want to participata actively in the opening minutes of cn emergency situation but such policy questions wculd be the cubject of the feasibility study along with the legal and technical problems.
In the most passive mode of inforrctica gathering and monitoring the CCC, thecugh its computer control, wculd draw attention to an abnormal occurrence in real tir.e.
Ecr instance if the radio-activity of the stack ges on a carticular plant passed a predeter-mi.e61sval the operator (s) cf che CCC veuld be alerted to this condition as well as the status of all ' contributing subsystems and the status of monitoring su'caystams.
Generator failure, com-part c.ent fire, breach of security and literally hundreds of func-tions could be monitored in real ti.e by computer systems. The CCC could call cperator attention to incrtant historical data, as '.1 ell as, predictions of future ccnsequences.
Tne status of local fire i
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departments, emergency response teams and unusual population conditions (local fair or previous evacuation) can ' e displayed and enalyzed.
The c
advantage to NRC of being on top of and vell informed abcut each situation as it develess is measurable.
Particularly the ability to assess trends in real time.
A slightly active role would have the CCC alerting a field office (if the field office does not have a receater center) that a cer-tain condition exists at a plant which bears further scrutiny.
A nutter of monitcrs may be down, each cne of which may not be criti-cal, but the aggregate when cocbined with an ecually minor (coc puter simalattd) emergency, may have the synergistic eff~;t of a major accident.
A loss of emergency respcnse capa~oility in a certain sector might call for soecial action.
The CCC might even aid in matching up a prcblem with a cualified investigator in that regicn. The cceputer assisted evaluation cf trends could have a role here. Ereach of security at one plant o.: for cne shipment may have little ccnsequence but how about breach of security at three plants within the sene day, hour, or minute?
An escalation in active participation by the CCC wculd have the NRC cperators marshalling emergency respcnse capability to a reactor accident or dispatching p cper authorities to the scene of a transport-tion accident or thef t of SHI. Just as time is an igartant factor in the cpening seconds and ni".utes of a criticality or LCCA accident, the minutes and hcurs follcving an accident, particularly breach of con-tainment, are ig ortant.
If a specially instrumatcd van or medical capabilty or professional expertise will be needed at a site the CCC and its coq uters can expedite this.
Tne time within which police respond to the scene of a crime is the' single most i.qcortant factor in the expediticns coluticn of the crime.
'Ihe ultimate in CCC participation, and a role that uculd rcquire careful scrutiny and forethought, would have the CCC cperators provide real tir.e advice to reactor cperators based on their com-puter assisted judgement.
'4ypothesizing the cases when this wculd be helpful is beyond my ca7 ability.
It is a co: plicated cuestien uhich my be answered by the preposed study.
Tna details of the proposed study can be ironed cut with the help of cur engineers.
I ao confident that an 1 EC CCC is feasible and 9 r,9 c.
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within the state of the art of cc.Tsunications technology.
The legal aspects of this proposal are unknown to. e.gho 'EC anpzay and it T could guass that th, reactors are required to ccnvey much of this may 'ce siralified to a questien of ti.ing or voluntary subscription.
to an '.5iC or E.FDA or private service.
Edward FMolak Transcortation and Product-Standards Branch O
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