Method and apparatus to eliminate confirmation switches and channel demultiplexer from soft control man-machine interface (MMI)

• US 6,516,041 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Curreri, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/679,508
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 376/215, 376/216, 376/217, 376/245, 376/259, 702/183, 702/185, 345/1, 345/2, 345/3, 340/524, 340/525, 340/517, 340/825.16, 340/825.17
• US Class Current: 376/217
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/001 Computer implemented control
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/008 Man-machine interface, e.g. control room layout
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/08 Regulation of any parameters in the plant
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling components in a component control system in a nuclear power plant includes an image processing system and display processor (IPS-DP) for issuing an encrypted command for a selected component in a component command system (CCS) in the nuclear power plant; a soft controller for receiving the encrypted command and matching the command with the selected component in the CCS for issuing a control command to the selected component; and control channel gateway for receiving the encrypted command from the IPS-DP and soft controller, deciphering the encrypted command, and, if authenticated, issuing a control command for said selected component in the CCS. Security and isolation, while complying with applicable codes and regulations, are assured.

Claims

1. A control system for a nuclear power plant, comprising:

means, including an information processing system and display processor (IPS-DP), for issuing an encrypted command for a selected component in a component control system (CCS) in the nuclear power plant;

means, including a soft controller having no capability to create encryption keys independent of said IPS-DP, for receiving said encrypted command form said IPS-DP means, matching said encrypted command with said selected component in the CCS; and

issuing a control command for said selected component; and

means, including a control channel gateway, for receiving said encrypted command from said IPS-DP means and said soft controller, and deciphering said encrypted command and, if authenticated, issuing a control command for said selected component in said CCS.

2. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said IPS-DP and said soft controller are classified as non-safety components of said control system.

3. The control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said IPS-DP includes a database of control components in the control system and routing information for said control components.

4. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for issuing provides an encrypted command key that contains at least one of an incremental value, origin information, and component routing data associated with the control components.

5. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for issuing an encrypted command further includes means for issuing an unencrypted object ID tag, said soft controller being responsive to the object ID tag to call up an associated component template.

6. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for issuing an encrypted command is solely a function of the IPS-DP.

7. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said soft controller maintains a set of display pages that act as control templates for generation of analog and discrete control commands for the selected component.

8. The control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said soft controller, upon receiving a command key and an object ID tag from the IPS-DP associates the object ID tag with a corresponding display page to permit an operator to take a desired action on said selected component.

9. The control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said soft controller includes a timeout capability wherein, if an operator takes no control action within a preset period, the control template is cleared from the display on the soft controller and the encrypted command key received from the IPS-DP is destroyed.

10. The control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control channel gateway is a safety control that deciphers data generated by the IPS-DP and the soft controller, to enable action of said selected component.

11. The control system as set forth in claim 1, further including a channel having a group controller and at least a loop controller, said channel being connected to said control channel gateway for receiving command signals for enabling said selected component when located in said channel.

12. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said encrypted command provided by said IPS-DP includes a data-packet with routing, control and origin information for a single component, said data packet being deciphered by said control channel gateway.

13. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said encrypted command provided by said IPS-DP affects only a single component at a time, whereupon risk of command error is minimized.

14. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said encrypted command for a selected command includes a sequence tag applied by the IPS-DP when the command key is issued, wherein said sequence tag identifies the validity of a command key according to the sequence of said selected command.

15. A method for controlling components in a component control system (CCS) for a nuclear power plant, comprising the steps of:

issuing an encrypted command for a selected component in a component control system (CCS) in the nuclear power plant from an information processing system and display processor (IPS-DP);

receiving said encrypted command from said IPS-DP means at a soft controller having no capability to provide encrypted command keys independent of said IPS-DP,

matching said encrypted command with said selected component in the CCS; and

issuing a control command for said selected component;

receiving said encrypted command from said IPS-DP means and said soft controller at a control channel gateway, and

deciphering said encrypted command and, if authenticated, issuing a control command for said selected component in said CCS.

16. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said IPS-DP and said soft controller are classified as non-safety components of said control system.

17. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said IPS-DP includes a database of control components in the control system and routing information for said control components.

18. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of issuing includes issuing an encrypted command keys that contain at least one of an incremental value, origin information, and component routing data associated with the selected control component.

19. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of issuing includes issuing an encrypted command and issuing an unencrypted object ID tag, said soft controller being responsive to the object ID tag to call up an associated component template.

20. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said step of issuing an encrypted command is solely a function of the IPS-DP.

21. The method of controlling a component in a component control system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said soft controller maintains a set of display pages that act as control templates for generation of analog and discrete control commands for the selected component.

22. The method of controlling a component in a component control system as set forth in claim 21, wherein said soft controller, upon receiving a command key and an object ID tag from the IPS-DP associates the object ID tag with a corresponding display page to permit an operator to take a desired action.

23. The method of controlling a component in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said soft controller includes a timeout capability wherein, if an operator takes no control action within a preset period, the control template is cleared from the display on the soft controller and the encrypted command key received from the IPS-DP is destroyed.

24. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said control channel gateway is a safety control that deciphers data generated by the IPS-DP and the soft controller, to enable action of said selected component.

25. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, further including a channel having a group controller and at least a loop controller, said channel being connected to said control channel gateway for receiving command signals for enabling said selected component when located in said channel.

26. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said encrypted command provided by said IPS-DP includes a data packet with routing, control and origin information for a single component, said data packet being deciphered by said control channel gateway.

27. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said encrypted command provided by said IPS-DP affects only a single component at a time, whereupon risk of command error is minimized.

28. The method of controlling components in a component control system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said encrypted command for a selected command includes a sequence tag applied by the IPS-DP when the command key is issued, wherein said sequence tag identifies the validity of a command key according to its sequence.