Verification of Chinese I&C software

Friday, 28 November 2014

A Chinese-developed nuclear classified digital control system for use in nuclear power plant instrumentation and control (I&C) systems has been verified to meet international standards.

ISTec's Horst Miedl presents CTEC's Jiang Guojin with the verification certificate for FirmSys (Image: CGN)

After several years of development, CTEC System Engineering Co Ltd - a subsidiary of China General Nuclear - officially released its FirmSys system in October 2010. The FirmSys platform will be used as a digital control system platform in safety applications in nuclear power plants. It is designed for, but not limited to, reactor trip systems and engineered safety feature automation systems.

In September 2011, CTEC formally commissioned Germany's Institute for Safety Technology (ISTec) - a subsidiary of independent testing service provider TÜV Rheinland - to carry out independent verification and validation of the FirmSys platform.

Through a series of assessments, ISTec has now confirmed that the FirmSys system meets international standards for use in nuclear power plant I&C systems.

The FirmSys platform has already been applied in several nuclear power plants in China, including the HTR-10 reactor at Tsinghua University. It has also been specified for use in the I&C system of units 5 and 6 of the Yangjiang plant in Guangdong province.

CGN noted, "In the past, China's nuclear power instrumentation and control system is mainly dependent on imports."

CTEC general manager Jiang Guojin said, "With the certificate obtained, and enhanced confidence of national experts and relevant agencies of our independent nuclear safety review of instrumentation and control products, a more solid foundation for the success of the FirmSys product line has been laid."

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News