Function Allocation Criteria and Method for Determining Levels of Automation in Small Modular Reactors

Objective: The aim of this study is to propose procedural functional allocation criteria for determining levels of automation in design of nuclear power plants such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).<br/>Background: Increasing the level of automation of high-reliability system is one of the key concerns for safety assessments. In particular, human factors regulations for nuclear power plants require in-depth safety assessments not only of the safety of the automation system, but also of the interaction between the automation system and the human operator. Therefore, determining the level of automation requires the application of new technical criteria that incorporate human factors engineering in design of high-reliability systems.<br/>Method: Existing literatures on function allocation between human and automated systems and relevant industrial technical documents are reviewed systematically. Through the review, supplementary function allocation criteria for determining levels of automation are proposed. The supplementary criteria are structured by closed-loop type algorithm-based procedural process.<br/>Results: A procedural methodology for determining levels of automation is proposed. The procedural criteria consist of 10 main steps and 5 sub-steps.<br/>Conclusion: The proposal of practical technical criteria to ensure safety in design of highly automated system might be applicable to human factors regulatory framework for high-reliability systems such as SMRs.<br/>Application: It is expected to provide practical technical criteria for ensuring safety as increasing the level of automation in SMRs. Specially, the proposed criteria will be utilized for safety review of function analysis and allocation in terms of human factors program review.