Guidelines for evaluating effectiveness of emergency drills and exercises (IAEA EPR-2005) © IAEA © SEC NRS

The Exercise Evaluation software was developed by the SEC NRS to render the scientific and technical support to the Information and Analytical Centre of Rostechnadzor (Rostechnadzor IAC) — the Russian state safety regulation authority in the field of atomic energy.

The software is meant to be used by the Rostechnadzor and SEC NRS staff – members of the Rostechnadzor IAC working groups – to evaluate the preparedness and actions of the NPP operators in emergency drills and exercises. The software implements the recommendations of the ‘Guidelines for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Emergency Response Drills and Exercises Conducted by Nuclear Power Plant Operator’, approved by the Rostechnadzor Order No. 525 of November 7, 2013 (‘the Guidelines’). The criterion component of these Guidelines rests upon the requirements of relevant federal nuclear safety rules and regulations (‘Regulation on the Procedure for Declaring an Emergency, Prompt Reporting and Arrangement of Emergency Assistance to Nuclear Power Plants in Case of Hazardous Radiological Situations’ (NP-005-16), etc.). The final judgement philosophy implemented in the software is based on the recommendations given in the IAEA document Exercise 2005 “Preparation, Conduct and Evaluation of Exercises to Test Preparedness for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency” (EPR-2005), and enables a quantified assessment of exercise / drill effectiveness.

The Exercise Evaluation software provides for emergency exercise / drill evaluation in 15 key emergency preparedness areas, including the completeness and correctness of operational information, the correctness of radiological consequences assessment for the accident, the size of protective measures, level according to the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), timely notification of emergency response participants, and actions to evacuate personnel not involved in the accident management activities.

The introduction of the Exercise Evaluation software has brought a number of significant benefits for the Rostechnadzor IAC:

• minimized risk of incorrect INES classification of human performance events;
  easier application of the Guidelines;
• lower labour and time input to make the evaluation;
• automatic generation of a report containing the final judgement on exercise / drill effectiveness.

The software also features flexible display, storage and structuring of information on the results of emergency drills and exercises conducted by the NPP operators. Furthermore, the data base on exercise / drill results integrated into the software, allows comparing the nuclear plants in terms of diligent fulfilment of the requirements of federal nuclear safety rules and regulations while contributing to regulatory decision-making by Rostechnadzor.

Contact: Denis Mistryugov, SEC NRS, mistryugov@secnrs.ru
Source: ETSON

Курындин А. В., к.т.н. (kuryndin@secnrs.ru), Киркин А. М. (kirkin@secnrs.ru), Шаповалов А. С. (shapovalov@secnrs.ru), Сорокин Д. В. (sorokin@secnrs.ru), Ляшко И. А. (lyashko@secnrs.ru)(ФБУ «НТЦ ЯРБ»).

В соответствии с требованиями федеральных норм и правил в области использования атомной энергии, помимо установления категории нарушения в работе объекта использования атомной энергии должна быть прове-дена оценка нарушения по шкале ИНЕС. Процедура классификации событий по шкале ИНЕС является достаточно время- и трудозатратной.Авторами разработано программное средство, позволяющее проводить экспресс-оценку классификации аварии на объекте использования атомной энергии по шкале ИНЕС. В работе представлены обзор методологии, применя-емой при классификации событий по шкале ИНЕС, обзор разработанного на ее основе программного средства и пример его использования.

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The software implementation of the method for determining the level of nuclear and radiological events in the INES scale

Kuryndin A., Ph. D., Kirkin A., Shapovalov A., Sorokin D., Lyashko I. (SEC NRS).

In accordance with the requirements of federal rules and regulations in addition to establishing the incident (accident) category for investigation purposes an assessment of the level of incident (accident) on the INES should be carried out. The INES rating procedure is rather time-consuming.Authors had developed the software which allows the express classification of the emergency events on facilities on the INES scale. In the research are provided the review of methodology is used to classify the events on the INES scale, the review of the software developed on this basis and example of its using.

Reliability of simulation models for nuclear installations, which are realized applying computer codes, has a vital importance for the safe use of nuclear energy. In the process of development of software that allows forecasting to the last detail of nuclear installations behavior in various operation conditions, as well as in case of an accident, the results of the advanced scientific researches are used. The most remarkable mathematicians, physicists, experimentators and software programmers take part in software development, and all components of the nuclear industry innovative development are involved. It is evident, that soundness of simulation models shall be evaluated and verified at the equally high level which is observed in the process of the software development.

Since 1991, Rostechnadzor applies in its regulatory activity the unique practice of software review, which is implemented by the SEC NRS. Since the very beginning of establishing of the software evaluation system there appeared understanding of the necessity of the open and transparent cooperation among all teams, participating in the development, verification and use of the software applied in the process of safety analysis. That is why the results of the review of such codes shall be definitely the subject to the review by the Expert Council in charge of computer codes certification under the aegis of Rostachnadzor, which includes representatives from more than 40 enterprises of the nuclear industry in Russia. The procedure for the software review was initially forethought to be a free from subjectivity team work of highly qualified specialists in the field of nuclear energy use. The solutions taken by the Expert Council are always based on the cumulative experience and knowledge of the whole scientific and technical society of the Russian nuclear industry, and represent the driving force for the development of innovative projects related to creation of new generation simulation tools and conduct of necessary experimental studies. In 2018, the more than a 25-year successful practice of computer codes review was settled by law, and the relevant amendments were introduced into the Federal Law “On the Use of Atomic Energy”.

Currently, among the most significant challenges in the context of scientific and technical aspects of computer codes development, verification and validation are as follows:

• updating of the requirements to verification (validation) of computer codes, upgrading of the criteria and forming of approaches to evaluation of the current computer codes (including multi-physical simulation, creation of codes for CFD-DNS type PCs) and digital technologies (artificial neural networks, virtual NPPs and etc.);
• development of recommendations on estimation of errors and uncertainties of the simulation results (preparation of the draft first revision of the relevant Guide has been planned for the year 2019);
• the system development of the experimental base and creation of the unified digital base of the evaluated experimental data, which can be used in the process of verification (validation) of the modern computer codes in the field of use of nuclear energy;
• evolvement of the approaches to rating of computer code users qualification.

Contact
Sergey SHEVCHENKO,
Scientific and Engineering Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SEC NRS)
sshevchenko@secnrs.ru

Источник: Eurosafe-forum.org 2019

Кавун О. Ю., д. т. н. (kavun@secnrs.ru), Поликарпова А. М. (polikarpova@secnrs.ru), Пипченко Г. Р. (pipchenko@secnrs.ru) (ФБУ «НТЦ ЯРБ»).

В статье представлено описание компьютерных моделей энергоблоков АЭС с ВВЭР, эксплуатирующихся в России. Модели разработаны для расчетной поддержки экспертов ИАЦ Ростехнадзора. Описаны принципы моделирования основных систем энергоблока и их особенности.

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Development of models for the rapid assessment of critical safety functions status of NPP with VVER-type reactors

Kavun O., Ph. D., Polikarpova A., Pipchenko G. (SEC NRS).

This article provides us the description of computer models of nuclear power units with VVER reactors, operating in Russia. Models are developed for the computational support of experts from the IAC Rostechnadzor. The principles of modeling of basic systems of nuclear power unit and its features are presented.