Updating the Function Allocation Technical Bases and Regulatory Guidance for Nuclear Power Plants

Function allocation (FA) has been defined in regulatory review guidance for the U.S. nuclear industry as the process of assigning responsibility for accomplishing functions to personnel or automation, or to a combination of them. FA is an important step in the industry’s approach to Human Factors Engineering (HFE) because it, along with other HFE activities, helps ensure safe and reliable plant operations. New reactors designed with advanced technologies, however, fundamentally change how humans will operate these plants and thus has implications for FA. This research updates the guidance for reviewing FA as part of an HFE program review. The update includes a description of how the topic of FA is characterized and evaluates FA methods for application to modern reactors. The goal is to improve how FA is performed and reviewed to help ensure the safety and efficiency of nuclear power plants, and support the design, analysis, and deployment of automation technologies.