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 detail and individually all the themes only mentioned here. In particular, the basic issues of the safe control of a reactor, its modeling, and how some of the main types of nuclear reactors have implemented the principles of control in operational practice will be addressed. Finally, I&C systems technology is addressed, particularly regarding the evolution from analog to digital, which is then dealt with more specifically in the following chapters, and issues concerning the interaction between technology and human beings. The chapter closes with a description of how today the safety problem is faced in all its forms and represents the great challenge of the nuclear industry's future.