Framatome has installed the first safety-related digital protection relays in a nuclear reactor at an unnamed reactor site in the United States. Working in partnership with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), Framatome delivered these digital relays to replace ageing electromechanical systems which protect electrical distribution assets and vital plant equipment in a significant step in modernising nuclear plant infrastructure with digital technologies.
For the past five years, Framatome and SEL have collaborated to develop electrical protection modernisation solutions. Protection relays detect faults and other abnormal conditions in electric power systems and initiate protective actions to maintain system stability and safety. Framatome-qualified safety-related applications for North American nuclear plants include feeder, generator, motor, bus differential and transformer protection relays as well as accessories.
Commenting on the project Tony Robinson, CEO of Framatome Inc, said in a statement: “By transitioning from legacy electromechanical systems to modern digital protection technologies, we are helping our customers enhance plant reliability, extend asset life, and ensure the long-term sustainability of clean energy generation in the United States.”
This project follows the award late last year of a contract to upgrade several digital control systems at Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station. The scope of this project includes system design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and installation for new digital feedwater level control and feedwater heater vents and drains systems.
Framatome’s digital controls will help ensure long-term plant performance and is based on the commercial digital control Tricon platform, part of the plant’s instrumentation and control (I&C) system.
The upgraded systems provide a reliable digital control platform, enabling improved operator insight and situational awareness, while reducing lifecycle maintenance costs and supporting the long-term operation of the plant.
Columbia Generating Station, located 10 miles (16 km) north of Richland, Washington, is the Northwest’s only nuclear power plant and serves as a milestone for modernising electrical protection in the US nuclear fleet using a commercial-grade dedication process.
