Prototype combining realism and operator actions with security to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs for nuclear power plants and facilities.

Currently, nuclear power plant security risk assessment SRA is separate from plant safety probabilistic risk assessment PRA in most respects. Safety and Security systems are evaluated, monitored, exercised and measured using very different methods for both, yet both are interrelated. Until recently, analytical, quantitative methods were not available for the integrated security systems, unlike safety which has used PRAs for many years. A much better quantitative assessment should include security risk’s impact to overall plant safety and operations. As part of the Phase 1 SBIR effort, ARES Security Corporation‘s AVERT® Physical Security AVERTPS Modeling and Simulation software, a Security Risk Assessment SRA tool, has started integration with the EMRALD Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment PRA software. This has resulted in a coupling of Safety and Security systems. This holistic SRA/PRA evaluation incorporates operator actions and realism during a security event. By performing a holistic evaluation that incorporates realism, the improved AVERTPS product can result in improved overall safety and security at a reduced cost. In the Phase 1 project, ARES provided a beta integration version of the AVERTPS SRA tool with the EMRALD dynamic PRA tool through design and prototyping of an interface of these two products. The integration of these two products linked the dynamic adaptive agent capability red and blue force of AVERTPS with the dynamic PRA calculation capability of EMRALD. A simplified test case was evaluated in the Phase 1 effort which provided good insights into the benefit of coupling PRA to SRA. There are two principal objectives of this project: Define Operational Process Identify requirements needed to support protective strategies. Identify requirements needed to support operational procedures for operators to mitigate damage Detail Technical Requirements Identify how to design operational procedures in the model Identify how to support protective strategies Define enhanced coupling of PRA to SRA Design a methodology to identify importance measures i.e., FussellVesely Importance The nuclear power electrical generation market is key to a safe, clean, green energy source. Assuring the current and future generation of nuclear power plants remain safe and economically viable will assure their inclusion in the current and future energy mix. The end result of this development project will provide a commercial product that the nuclear power industry and other mission critical infrastructures can use to assure safety and security are harmonized. This has the potential to generate operational cost savings.