Principles of I&C systems for nuclear plants

In this chapter, an introduction to the Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems is given. What is a control system? What is its relevance to a nuclear plant? How a control system architecture can be designed? The answers to these and other questions are briefly given here, while more detailed descriptions will be provided in the following chapters. The chapter, therefore, stands as a forerunner and critical summary of the chapters to come, which will have the task of illustrating in det...

In the form of an introduction

Nuclear I&C systems current trends and future challenges

In this chapter, we will focus on the current trends emerging in the world of I&C in general and its application to the nuclear world in particular. It will necessarily be a bird's eye view, as nothing is more unpredictable than technological development. Therefore, the objective of the chapter is not the claim to provide a complete overview, but the idea of stimulating the ideas that are emerging in recent years in the world of research on instrumentation and control in the nuclear field...

Fundamentals of analog I&C systems

In this chapter, an overview of Analog Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems is given. The basic concepts and some applicative examples of the main analog components and systems will be illustrated: analog signals, sensor acquisition, and actuator control. The main features of active and passive analog electronic circuits, signal conditioning, and power control are briefly described. Particular attention is given to proportional-integral-derivative regulators and actuator implementati...