Managing the electromagnetic compatibility and wireless coexistence concerns for the implementation of existing and future wireless technologies in nuclear power plants

Abstract

In general, the world's nuclear power fleet is comprised of facilities that were built on designs created nearly a half century ago. There are numerous instances of original vintage equipment still installed and operating in these plants. This absence of modernization is due to many factors including the reliability of the existing equipment, lack of confidence and operating experience of digital systems, funding considerations, and regulatory concerns. There are however several successful instances of plant upgrades providing enhanced power output, efficiency, safety, and monitoring capabilities. With these successes, other technologies that can provide a benefit to the nuclear power industry will begin to gain acceptance. Wireless is one such technology that can find widespread use. Wireless technology has and will continue to face many perceived obstacles for implementation including cyber security, reliability, return on investment, and electromagnetic compatibility. Another issue that will arise with an expansion of wireless installations will be wireless coexistence. These concerns have been addressed by several utilities that have implemented wireless devices at various levels. However, nuclear power plants are typically slow to adopt cutting-edge technologies. Therefore, the advanced wireless protocols and sensor devices being developed today and in the near future will have to provide sufficient justification to address the implementation concerns. The two areas that will be difficult to address are electromagnetic compatibility and wireless coexistence. There is currently minimal guidance for the nuclear utilities with respect to either of these issues as they relate to wireless technology. Several organizations have and continue to perform research in these areas for the nuclear industry but further work is necessary to fully understand and address the real concerns.