MSc Nuclear Science and Technology / Course details

This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to Control and Instrumentation (C&I) applied at nuclear facilities, both for reactor control and other nuclear facility applications, in the context of functional safety. It is designed to describe the design, verification and validation (V&V), safety justification and assessment of C&I (including Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based control, smart instruments, robotics and autonomous systems). It will introduce the benefits and challenges associated with the use of software, hardware description language (HDL) programmed integrated circuits and artificial intelligence (AI). Following a mandatory pre-course reading component, a one-week taught component will include a presentation from a visiting design practitioner from industry and an experienced (ex)inspector from the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to help deliver the course. These individuals will bring a practical, real-life, perspective. A day will be spent locally in Siemens’ training room to gain hands on experience with a PLC. Throughout the course a practical, real-life application of C&I will be used to develop practical understanding. The taught component is followed by a post-course assessment that is designed to consolidate knowledge gained during the course and to enable students to join industry with a solid understanding of how C&I is applied in practice in the context of a functional safety process.

The unit aims to:
Provide a comprehensive introduction to Control and Instrumentation (C&I) applied at nuclear facilities, both for reactor control and other nuclear facility applications, in the context of functional safety.

ILO 1  -  Explain the nature of risk and system safety in a historical, societal and legal context (including the role of the UK nuclear regulator).
ILO 2  -  Evaluate accidents and their root causes, including the role of humans and apply this to a hazard identification and analysis.
ILO 3  -  Explain the role of C&I in systems engineering / systems architecture and the interaction with other disciplines.

ILO 4  -  Assess the benefits and challenges of the choice of hardware, HDL-programmed hardware and software (inc. AI) and design and development of a basic process or facility safety system architecture including these components.
ILO 5  -  Describe a C&I safety system lifecycle model suitable for the system design in ILO 4.

ILO 6  -  Evaluate a set of C&I system requirements, e.g. identify functional and non-functional requirements, identify applicable standards.

ILO 7  -  Design and implement a basic C&I system which incorporates safety features, selecting and justifying appropriate V&V
techniques for the components and system.

ILO 8  -  Explain the use of requirements and CAE notation for safety case structure and construct a basic coherent and logically- argued safety case for a C&I enabled nuclear process or reactor system acceptable to the industry.

ILO 9  -  Describe and discuss the impact of new developments in C&I including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous
systems, machine / human interaction.

A. Knowledge and Understanding
There will be an expectation that students will have an appreciation of safety cases through experience or developed through reading prior to the course or they have completed the Nuclear Safety Case Development unit (PHYS65210).
Students are taught via directed reading (pre-course) and directly in appropriately equipped rooms at the institution delivering the unit. Learning is consolidated in tutorial and review sessions.
•    Pre-course directed reading
•    Direct Teaching
•    Review sessions
•    Tutorial sessions

B. Intellectual Skills
Students are able to exercise their intellectual skills through in-class discussion, tutorial sessions, and the completion of the assigned post-unit assessment (safety case for a C&I enabled nuclear process or reactor system).
•    In-class discussion •   Review sessions
•    Tutorial sessions
•    Assignment exercise
•    Multiple choice questions
•    Post-course assignment

C. Practical Skills

Students are able to exercise their practical skills through tutorial sessions and completion of the laboratory C&I system task.
•    Tutorial sessions
•    Laboratory C&I system task demonstrating practical aptitude and design skills

D. Transferable Skills and Personal Qualities

Students are able to enhance their transferable skills through in-class discussion, tutorial sessions, and the completion of the assigned post-unit assessments.
•    In-class discussion
•    Tutorial sessions
•    Assignment exercise
•    Laboratory C&I system task
•    Post-unit assessment (safety case for a C&I enabled nuclear process or reactor system)
•    Team exercise associated with the post-unit assessment.
•    Communication skills demonstrated by presenting complex engineering principles to technical and non-technical audiences in the team exercise feedback session.
 

There will be an expectation that students will have an appreciation for safety cases through experience or developed through reading prior to the course of they completed the Nuclear Safety Case Development (PHYS65210).

Students are taught via directed reading (pre-course) and directly in appropriately equipped rooms at the institution delivering the unit. Learning is consolidated in tutorial and review sessions.

• pre-course teaching
• directed teaching
• review sessions
• tutorial sessions

Students are able to exercise their intellectual skills through in-class discussion, tutorial sessions and the completion of the assigned post-unit assessment (safety case for a C&I enable nuclear process or reactor system).

• in-class discussion
• review sessions
• tutorial sessions
• assignment exercise
• multiple choice questions
• post-course assignment

Students are able to exercise their practical skills through tutorial sessions and completion of the laboratory C&I system task.

• Tutorial sessions
• Laboratory C&I system task demonstrating practical aptitude and design skills 

Students are able to enhance their transferable skills through in-class discussion, tutorial sessions, and the completion of the assigned post-unit assessments.

• In-class discussion
• Tutorial sessions
• Assignment exercise
• Laboratory C&I system task
• Post-unit assessment (safety case for a C&I enabled nuclear process or reactor system)
• Team exercise associated with the post-unit assessment.
• Communication skills demonstrated by presenting complex engineering principles to technical and non-technical audiences in the team exercise feedback session. 

Review sessions - 0%

Time is allocated in the timetable to review course material in class, to let students integrate the knowledge gained.

Tutorial sessions - 0%

In-class tutorials covering C&I and Functional Safety

Practical session - 0%

Laboratory work in small teams developing practical appreciation of software design.

Assignment exercise - 0%

Students work in groups to consider a functional safety hazard which can be
mitigated with C&I and how they would go about addressing it

Multiple choice questions - 0%

Online multiple choice questions covering the range of material in the unit

In-course test - 20%

An in-class test designed to complement the post-module assessment by covering the breadth of material in the course to ensure that students have engaged with the full range of the material. This will take the form of a written test carried out at the end of the taught part of the module. 

Post-module assessment - 80%

A set of questions covering various areas of C&I and Functional Safety - 40%

and

A group 30 minute presentation and follow on discussion with lecturers on the impact of C&I designs on the development of a safety case to allow its proportionate deployment (this may be submitted as a recording, which each team member has contributed to) - 40%

Marking of test and post-unit assessment with written feedback

Leveson, N.G., Safeware: System Safety and Computers, Addison-Wesley.
Smith, D.J. and Simpson, K.G.L, Safety Critical Systems Handbook, Butterworth-Heinemann. Storey, N., Safety-Critical Computer Systems, Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Safety Assessment Principles for Nuclear Facilities 2014 Edition, Revision 1 (January 2020), Office for Nuclear Regulation.
TAG 046 Computer based safety systems, April 2019, Revision 6, Office for Nuclear Regulation, TAG 094 Categorisation of safety functions and classification of structures, systems and components, July 2019, Revision 2, Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Out of control: Why control systems go wrong and how to prevent failure, 2003, HSG238, Health and Safety Executive.