Following a technology transfer award from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Florida Power has carried out the first US installation of a Triconex unit load demand system at its Crystal River nuclear station. The system will fully automate the plant's power level control function.
"This new, pre-qualified system allows us to safely operate the plant closer to its licensed thermal limit," said Mike Lord, Florida Power senior nuclear instrumentation and control engineer. "It reduces operator burden and allows for a phased conversion of analogue to digital control technology." The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a safety evaluation report earlier this year certifying Tricon version 9, and all associated hardware and software, for use in 1E Safety Critical applications in nuclear plant instrumentation and control systems.
