The laboratory reproduces the operation of a PWR nuclear reactor control room similar to that of the Angra 1 plant reactor.

Control room engineering, human factors and human reliability studies were implemented in the Nuclear Engineering Institute in 2001 and the initial landmark was the creation of the Human-System Interface Laboratory (HSIL). The HSIL is formed by an advanced nuclear control room and an experiment room. HSIL simulates the nuclear process using a pressurized water reactor (PWR) simulator and the operators’ workplaces in an advanced (digital) control room. The HSIL provides the necessary means for human factors experiments and operator training.

Developed projects:

• Evaluation of the human factors requirements in the design of the HSIL interfaces.
• Evaluation of the ergonomics and human factors requirements in the nuclear control design.
• Alarm systems design and configuration.
• Decision making in complex systems operation: impact on safety.
• Safety culture in organizations that deal with dangerous technologies.
• Neural network applied to the generation of signal redundancy in nuclear plants, for signal validation in monitoring systems.
• Design of nuclear reactor transient and accident identification system based on neural networks.

Research area:

• Design and evaluation of advanced human-system interfaces.
• Design of operator support system.
• Human reliability analysis.
• Human performance during emergency situations.
• Artificial intelligence technique applied to engineering.