Proposals for reducing the accident rate on nuclear power plants and minimizing of accident consequences

In English: [Shevchenko Valentina V., Shevchenko Alexander S., Sergiyenko I.V. (2019) Proposals for reducing the accident rate on nuclear power plants and minimizing of accident consequences / Bulletin of the Kharkov Regional Institute of Public Health Services, 2(88), pp. 31-43. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2596459]

The operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) is associated with the risk of major accidents. To avoid them, technical improvements and strict safety rules are used. The growth of demand for electricity occurs against the backdrop of aging electrical equipment, and therefore increases the accident rate. There is a need to increase the number of parameters for monitoring worn-out equipment in the on-line mode. Thermal and vibration sensors are additionally installed on the turbogenerators of the NPP units, the indicators from which are output to the control panels. The load on the operators grows, risks of critical errors also grow. To avoid this, it was proposed to abandon the installation of additional thermal sensors. Enough to install additional vibration sensors as more informative. Work to reduce the accident rate should be carried out in several directions. Analysis of emergency measures shows the ability to reduce the negative impact of the "human factor" by transferring a number of human functions to automation, robots and computer systems. Legal immunity for liability for professional errors and insurance of risks in the work of NPP operators and managers will allow to more reliably investigate the causes of accidents and more reliably evaluate subsequent actions. The use of fire robots NPP will increase the effectiveness of extinguishing fires, save lives and property. But infrastructure changes, special routes for robots will be required. In ensuring the safety of NPP, Ukraine faces both typical problems for the world nuclear power industry and additional threats of nuclear terrorism, including the risks of physical and cyber-attacks. To reduce the risk of cyber-attacks, additional measures are needed to protect computer systems and limit unauthorized access to them. Improvements are needed in software that can be conducted by Ukrainian IT specialists at the expense of the wartime state budget (for defense and security).

Keywords: nuclear energy, NPP safety, accident rate, electrical equipment wear, service life extension, human factor, cyber-security, nuclear terrorism.