Process automation
Process automation technology has been pursued in the chemical processing industries and to a very limited extent in nuclear fuel reprocessing. Its effective use has been restricted in the past by the lack of diverse and reliable process instrumentation and the unavailability of sophisticated software designed for process control. The Integrated Equipment Test (IET) facility was developed by the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program (CFRP) in part to demonstrate new concepts for control of advanced nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. A demonstration of fuel reprocessing equipment automation using advanced instrumentation and a modern, microprocessor-based control system is nearing completion in the facility. This facility provides for the synergistic testing of all chemical process features of a prototypical fuel reprocessing plant that can be attained with unirradiated uranium-bearing feed materials. The unique equipment and mission of the IET facility make it an ideal test bed for automation studies. This effort will provide for the demonstration of the plant automation concept and for the development of techniques for similar applications in a full-scale plant. A set of preliminary recommendations for implementing process automation has been compiled. Some of these concepts are not generally recognized or accepted. The automation work now under way in the IET facility should be useful to others in helping avoid costly mistakes because of the underutilization or misapplication of process automation. 6 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5543431
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-860754-1; ON: DE86013401
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Joint United Kingdom/United States technical symposium on control and instrumentation, Harwell, UK, 29 Jul 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Process monitoring concepts for safeguards and demonstrations at an Oak Ridge National Laboratory test facility
THE INTEGRATED EQUIPMENT TEST FACILITY AT OAK RIDGE AS A NONPROLIFERATION TEST LOOP
Related Subjects
CONSOLIDATED FUEL REPROCESSING PROGRAM
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
AUTOMATION
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
PROCESS CONTROL
MICROPROCESSORS
ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
COMPUTERS
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ON-LINE SYSTEMS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing