Abstract: The present research is to explore the feasibility and conceptual design by using triple-redundant FPGA-based system for Anticipated-Transient-Without-Scram (ATWS) Mitigation System and Actuation Circuit (AMSAC) of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) type nuclear power plant (NPP). The Taipower’s (Taiwan Power Company) Maanshan NPP was chosen for demonstration. An engineering simulated interface between AMSAC system and reactor/plant systems of Maanshan NPP was developed to provide an environment to validate the triple-redundant FPGA-based system. The software-free FPGA-based nuclear instrumentation and control (I&C) systems can easily be used for the modernization of the Taipower’s nuclear power plant analog systems, thus may reduce the safety risk of undetectable software faults and common cause failures, and also minimize the regulatory licensing efforts and cost.

Keyword: Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA); Nuclear Reactor Safety; Transient Mitigation; Anticipated-Transient-Without-Scram (ATWS); ATWS Mitigation System and Actuation Circuit (AMSAC).