Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to show the causes of the best-known three nuclear accidents, emphasize the similarity of their causes, and show that the use of state-of-the-art automation could have prevented all three of them. I will show how automation can substantially improve the safety of nuclear power plants. I will first give an overview of the evolution and the present nature of operation of this industry, followed by a general description of the boiling water reactor (BWR)* and the pressurized water reactor (PWR). I will do this because a good understanding of the personality of any process is essential before we can safely control it and because using reliable measurement devices is also essential to achieve this goal.