eVinci (Image: Westinghouse)
The company said the regulator had approved the state-of-the-art eVinci Advanced Logic System Version 2 - or ALS v2 - instrumentation and control platform through a Final Safety Evaluation Report on two topical reports. "The groundbreaking approvals make the eVinci microreactor the first and only microreactor with an NRC-approved I&C system, opening a path to autonomous operation," the company said.
Instrumentation and control systems - or I&C - coordinate the operation of all the components that make up a nuclear power plant, such as motors, pumps or valves, allowing plant personnel to monitor the status of the plant effectively and supporting safe and reliable power generation through controlling the plant processes. The International Atomic Energy Agency has described I&C system architecture, together with plant operations personnel, as the "central nervous system" of a nuclear power plant.
Westinghouse describes ALS v2 as a universal, logic-based platform that controls safety-critical systems using hardware instead of software or a computer chip. This minimises the need for operator oversight, allowing for more automation and greater safety. The approvals also allow the ALS v2 control system to be used by any reactor currently in the US fleet.
"NRC approval of these first topical reports for the state-of-the-art eVinci control system is a major licensing milestone," said Jon Ball, president of eVinci Technologies at Westinghouse. "This will advance our future goal of autonomous operation, as the eVinci control system minimises operator input, even during operations like load-following."
The heatpipe-cooled eVinci microreactor has very few moving parts, meaning it works essentially as a battery, providing from a few kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity for over eight years without refuelling. The technology is factory-built and assembled before it is shipped in a container to provide versatile, scalable energy for a variety of applications.
