The state of the use of hierarchy structure between IEEE standards and Nuclear Regulatory Guides related to class 1E Power Systems

Abstract

The safety and the availability is becoming a major concern for each Nuclear Power Plant of each nation. Any global incident can significantly affect the public opinions. All the regulatory organs including Government regulations and even private sector standards can be tremendously affected by such incidents. As efforts are made to improve the availability and safety of future plants, questions about compatibility between different codes/standards and a satisfactory level of understanding and correct implementation at the early stage of the design may arise. Power Plants management, engineering and maintenance departments must not only possess an understanding of engineering standards and applicable governmental codes, but also learn to apply them in designing, developing, testing and servicing products, processes and systems. One crucial criterion for all departments requires engineers to understand the different aspects of the links between applying standards in their projects and know the hierarchy structures behind this and to ensure a necessary equilibrium between the two concerns during the design process. This paper reviews a methodology of understanding the hierarchy connections between the industrial IEEE standards related to class 1E power systems and Regulatory guide codes of the NRC Government regulations. This will help develop modules for identifying benchmark practices and understanding the standards as early as possible in the design process. It presents the findings of an Electrical Systems and I&C department work conducted through Electrical Engineering during autumn 2013. The hierarchy presented in this work will help to enhance the use of IEEE standards and Regulatory guides in engineering and technology curricula specifically related to providing protection for the health and safety of the public.