During my recent practice in the nuclear safety industry, I was involved in the verification and validation of an application developed to support annual shutdown procedures at nuclear power plants. The application, known as ATRE SW (Automatic Test Results Evaluation), plays a critical role in ensuring that systems behave as expected during crucial test phases by automating the evaluation of signal data.
ATRE SW works by importing newly collected test signals and comparing them against a set of previously validated reference signals. The tool allows users to define specific tolerances, such as value deviation, timing delays, and differences in test scenario lengths. Once configured, the application automatically identifies and highlights discrepancies that fall outside these defined thresholds.
In addition to signal comparison, ATRE SW includes important features for data integrity and cybersecurity. It performs checks for potential manipulation of data and scans for the presence of malicious code, thereby reinforcing its reliability and security.
The tool provides a detailed overview of discrepancies, categorizing them by type and enabling users to investigate further through graphical comparisons. It also supports the generation of various PDF reports— whether for individual signals, test scenarios (comprising multiple signals), or entire subsystems. These capabilities streamline documentation and facilitate comprehensive analysis.
My primary responsibility was to verify that ATRE SW fulfills all specified functional and security requirements. This included:
- Ensuring the correctness of automated evaluations and graphical outputs,
- Verifying the robustness of the system against unauthorized manipulation or potential misuse,
- Testing the overall reliability and performance of the tool under different conditions.
This experience offered valuable insight into the critical processes that support nuclear safety and deepened my understanding of software validation in highly regulated environments.
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