Application of Verification and Validation on Safety Parameter Display Systems

Greatest benefit from the application of V&V can be realized when it is viewed as technical support to management in an era of high technology. Verification offers management a means to obtain objective interim feedback during digital system development so important in tracking the technical progress being made. Once the system is completed, Validation supplies evidence of an independent evaluation of the integrated system "as built" through testing. V&V supports cost effective digital system development created by opportunity for management to receive front-end feedback regarding the technical completeness and validity of system requirements and interim feedback regarding the technical progress being made. These objective evaluations may reduce the amount of system development effort spent due to misunderstanding and inprocess creativity which may stray away from system objectives. The results of systems development when V&V is applied is a well documented system which supports maintenance and change control. When the nuclear industry computes digital system maintenance costs, the well documented systems will demonstrate a significant cost savings, both in level of effort and plant operation. Both from a technical perspective and regulator perspective, V&V is an important technical approach which facilitates wider application and greater dependence on the use of digital systems to increase the efficiency and reliability of nuclear power plant operation.