New Boron Heat Trace Control System Meeting IEEE 338

A boron trace control/alarm system has been designed and installed for pressurized water reactors. It is the first centralized control that meets IEEE 338 "Criteria for Periodic Testing of Nuclear Power Generating Station Systems". This paper deals with a case study of a control system specifically designed for the temperature control and alarming of a boron dumping system in a pressurized water reactor plant; a subject that, until recently, was frequently an afterthought in nuclear plant construction planning. Considering that many engineers and architects are now beginning to develop new standards for this function, this review of the system for Florida Power and Light\´s St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant No. 1 should prove a significant guide for boron heat trace control planning.