Toronto based CAE Electronics is to supply both a full scope real-time simulator and an engineering simulator for the 632 MWe 2-loop PWR Krsko plant in Slovenia. Using CAE’s Real-time Object-oriented Simulation Environment, both simulators comprise sophisticated thermal-hydraulic, reactor, balance of plant, electrical systems and instrumentation and control models.
Worth in the region of Cdn$20 million ($13.7 million), both simulators are equipped with severe accident simulation capability, providing trainees with the ability to experience situations such as core uncovering, heat-up of fuel, hydrogen generation, melt relocation, vessel breach core water interactions and containment trauma. The simulators will also be used for procedure development and validation, optimisation of plant operation and the study and validation of plant modifications.
The full scope simulator is equipped with a complete replica of the main control room panels. The engineering simulator has the same capabilities, but the physical panels are replaced with “virtual panels” as the user interface. Helsinki based ABB Power Oy is providing the plant information system.
CAE Electronic’s Real-time Object-orientated Simulation Environment is an object orientated, icon-based design and simulation environment. As well as nuclear power plants, it has been used for simulation purposes in fossil-fuel and gas power plants, petrochemical facilities, spacecraft and air traffic control rooms. It can track system requirements throughout the development life cycle, define subsystem interface requirements, prepare and maintain design documentation, validate and verify the functional design of software and hardware elements as well as training system operators.
• CAE to provide Chinese with simulator CAE was also selected by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) to supply a simulator for the Qinshan project in China, 125 kilometres south of Shanghai, where AECL is building two 700 MWe reactors. The simulator contract is worth $13.7 million.
Simulation of the nuclear steam plant will take place first, with the balance of the plant being simulated in a second phase. This reflects progress in the building of the actual plant as design data is needed to build the simulator.