Enhancing Nuclear Power Plant Operations: An Ontology for Conditional Tasks

Nuclear power plants (NPPs) depend on precise procedures for safety and efficiency. These procedures contain work instructions detailing both sequential and conditional tasks. However, executing conditional tasks-tasks performed under specific conditions-often poses difficulties for operators. The hurdles lie in recalling crucial information, spotting key cues, and reacting appropriately to significant plant events linked to these tasks. Current computer-based procedures (CBPs) also fall short in autonomously generating operator reminders when conditional tasks are activated due to these tasks' lack of computer interpretability. This paper presents an ontology: a computer-interpretable representation of conditional tasks. The ontology supports reason about potential events, suitable responses, task constraints, and potential hazards related to the procedure. A case study demonstrates the ontology's effectiveness. Future research will focus on refining ontology and investigating automatic critical information extraction methods.