Ep 79: Rob Austin - Sensors, Data & Analytics Expert, Electric Power Research Institute

Published: Sept. 18, 2018, 10 a.m.

In this episode we discuss...

  • Rob’s background in history and his personal evolution in the nuclear industry
  • Design flaws that led to the Three Mile Island accident
  • Rob’s work in plant modernization managing major electrical and digital upgrades at plants in the US
  • Pros and cons of analog systems versus digital systems
  • The core inputs essential to safety control in a plant including coolant flow and temperature parameters
  • Economic challenges in nuclear and how we can replace manual labor with automation to help overcome those challenges
  • Concerns over software common cause failure
  • Lessons we can learn from upgrade deficiencies in other countries
  • How cybersecurity is maintained in digital systems
  • How plant modernization methods are working to dramatically reduce the operation and maintenance costs required in nuclear