Ep 79: Rob Austin, Electric Power Research Institute

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