skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Measuring Human Performance in Simulated Nuclear Power Plant Control Rooms Using Eye Tracking

Abstract

Control room modernization will be an important part of life extension for the existing light water reactor fleet. As part of modernization efforts, personnel will need to gain a full understanding of how control room technologies affect performance of human operators. Recent advances in technology enables the use of eye tracking technology to continuously measure an operator’s eye movement, which correlates with a variety of human performance constructs such as situation awareness and workload. This report describes eye tracking metrics in the context of how they will be used in nuclear power plant control room simulator studies.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
OSTI Identifier:
1261061
Report Number(s):
INL/EXT-15-37311
TRN: US1601572
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; CONTROL ROOMS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS; PERFORMANCE; WATER COOLED REACTORS; REACTOR SIMULATORS; EVALUATION; REACTOR OPERATORS; MONITORING; EYES; control room simulator; Eye tracking; Human performance

Citation Formats

Kovesdi, Casey Robert, Rice, Brandon Charles, Bower, Gordon Ross, Spielman, Zachary Alexander, Hill, Rachael Ann, and LeBlanc, Katya Lee. Measuring Human Performance in Simulated Nuclear Power Plant Control Rooms Using Eye Tracking. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.2172/1261061.
Copy to clipboard
Kovesdi, Casey Robert, Rice, Brandon Charles, Bower, Gordon Ross, Spielman, Zachary Alexander, Hill, Rachael Ann, & LeBlanc, Katya Lee. Measuring Human Performance in Simulated Nuclear Power Plant Control Rooms Using Eye Tracking. United States. doi:10.2172/1261061.
Copy to clipboard
Kovesdi, Casey Robert, Rice, Brandon Charles, Bower, Gordon Ross, Spielman, Zachary Alexander, Hill, Rachael Ann, and LeBlanc, Katya Lee. Sun . "Measuring Human Performance in Simulated Nuclear Power Plant Control Rooms Using Eye Tracking". United States. doi:10.2172/1261061. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1261061.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_1261061,
title = {Measuring Human Performance in Simulated Nuclear Power Plant Control Rooms Using Eye Tracking},
author = {Kovesdi, Casey Robert and Rice, Brandon Charles and Bower, Gordon Ross and Spielman, Zachary Alexander and Hill, Rachael Ann and LeBlanc, Katya Lee},
abstractNote = {Control room modernization will be an important part of life extension for the existing light water reactor fleet. As part of modernization efforts, personnel will need to gain a full understanding of how control room technologies affect performance of human operators. Recent advances in technology enables the use of eye tracking technology to continuously measure an operator’s eye movement, which correlates with a variety of human performance constructs such as situation awareness and workload. This report describes eye tracking metrics in the context of how they will be used in nuclear power plant control room simulator studies.},
doi = {10.2172/1261061},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
Copy to clipboard
Technical Report:
View Technical Report
DOI:  10.2172/1261061
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

  • ; ;
    In 1984, the Electric Power Research Institute published, Enhancing Fossil Power Plant Design, Operation, and Maintenance: Human Factors Guidelines'' (EPRI CS-3745). The purpose of this report is to improve and update sections of the previous report, and provide 'defines for computer-based systems, especially digital control workstations in the control room. Inputs to the revision were obtained from fossil power plant operations and design experts, and from human factors guidelines and research developed for numerous other applications such as the military and NASA. This report includes human factors guidelines for: Planning for control room upgrade; control room work space; control roommore » equipment, layout and surface enhancements (for conventional control boards); remote control stations; and human-computer interface.« less

  • ; ;
    In 1984, the Electric Power Research Institute published, ``Enhancing Fossil Power Plant Design, Operation, and Maintenance: Human Factors Guidelines`` (EPRI CS-3745). The purpose of this report is to improve and update sections of the previous report, and provide `defines for computer-based systems, especially digital control workstations in the control room. Inputs to the revision were obtained from fossil power plant operations and design experts, and from human factors guidelines and research developed for numerous other applications such as the military and NASA. This report includes human factors guidelines for: Planning for control room upgrade; control room work space; control roommore » equipment, layout and surface enhancements (for conventional control boards); remote control stations; and human-computer interface.« less

  • ;
    The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) has the primary mission to advance nuclear power by resolving socio-technical issues through research and development (R&D). One DOE-NE activity supporting this mission is the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program. LWRS has the overall objective to sustain the operation of existing commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs) through conducting R&D across multiple “pathways,” or R&D focus areas. The Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control (II&C) Systems Technologies pathway conducts targeted R&D to address aging and reliability concerns with the legacy instrumentation and control (I&C) and related information systemsmore » in operating U.S. NPPs. This work involves (1) ensuring that legacy analog II&C systems are not life-limiting issues for the LWR fleet, and (2) implementing digital II&C technology in a manner that enables broad innovation and business improvement in the NPP operating model. Under the LWRS Advanced II&C pathway, Human Factors experts at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have been conducting R&D in support of NPP main control room (MCR) modernization activities. Work in prior years has focused on migrating analog I&C systems to new digital I&C systems (). In fiscal year 2016 (FY16), one new focus area for this research is migrating older digital I&C systems to new and advanced digital I&C systems. This report summarizes a plan for conducting a digital-to-digital migration of a legacy digital I&C system to a new digital I&C system in support of control room modernization activities.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    A human factors analysis was performed to assess how identified upgrades to local control stations (LCSs) in nuclear power plants affect both human performance and plant risk. Upgrades in the design of individual control panels and overall improvement of functional centralization were considered. The analysis methodology was accomplished in four stages. First, a list of LCS human engineering design deficiencies was developed using data collected from a variety of sources including visits to nuclear power plants. From these data, a set of potential upgrades were defined to correct the deficiencies. Second, the effects of the upgrades on human error probabilitiesmore » (HEPs) were determined using a computer-based methodology for soliciting expert judgement. Third, the HEPs were propagated through plant probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), and new core melt frequencies were established. A preliminary, scoping value-impact assessment was performed to evaluate the regulatory need for further review of possible action to improve the human factors engineering aspects of local control stations. The results indicated that implementation of both types of upgrades would improve human performance and lower risk, but that only the panel design improvements would be cost beneficial. 14 refs., 9 figs., 20 tabs.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    Human factors engineering is an interdisciplinary specialty concerned with influencing the design of equipment systems, facilities, and operational environments to promote safe, efficient, and reliable operator performance. Human factors approaches were applied in the design of representative nuclear power plant control panels. First, methods for upgrading existing operational control panels were examined. Then, based on detailed human factors analyses of operator information and control requirements, designs of reactor, feedwater, and turbine-generator control panels were developed to improve the operator-control board interface, thereby reducing the potential for operator errors. In addition to examining present-generation concepts, human factors aspects of advanced systemsmore » and of hybrid combinations of advanced and conventional designs were investigated. Special attention was given to warning system designs. Also, a survey was conducted among control board designers to (1) develop an overview of design practices in the industry, and (2) establish appropriate measures leading to a more systematic concern for human factors in control board design.« less