Knowledge Representation for Automated Boiling Water Reactor Plant Startup

The automated startup of a boiling water reactor (BWR) plant is discussed. A startup procedure and a logic representation of the operational guidance given in current BWR plants are examined. Based on these examinations, a knowledge representation of the sequential operations is proposed. Plant startup is a process in which various plant functions are brought in to establish an operational plant state. Based on this understanding, the relationships between plant functions can be used to deduce a BWR plant operation procedure. Finally, the proposed knowledge representation is evaluated using a prototype system, and it is shown that the representation is very effective in the startup of an automated BWR plant even if abnormalities arise during operation.