Dynamic Simulation With Application to HFE and Control System Design Validation info@gses.com

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Nuclear Power Industry Goes Digital

•  Digital instrumentation and control (I&C) and digital control rooms have become a key focus of the nuclear industry.

•  New plant designs and the life extension of older plants require the industry and the regulator to understand and validate these system designs and their performance.

•  Why? To budget and schedule risk, and for safety!

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The Goal/Opportunity of Engineering Simulator & HFE

•  New and existing plants will all eventually use digital controls: –  Projects are high risk and delays

in initial startup cost around $1 million per day

–  The simulator has been proven as a V&V tool for I&C systems

•  Digital systems are easy to change

and optimize but require a validated process (NUREG 0711): –  The engineering simulator

provides a platform to prove the performance and safety of system changes

Figure 2: Performance improvement based on a digital transformation of the operating model

Figure 1: Performance based on current operating model

Figures from INL Study

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Nuclear Regulatory Guidance

•  The U.S. NRC reviews the HFE programs of applicants for: –  Nuclear power plant construction permits –  Operating licenses –  Standard design certifications –  Combined operating licenses

•  Detailed design review procedures and guidance for the evaluations is provided in three key documents: –  Standard review plan (NUREG-0800) –  HFE program review model (NUREG-0711) –  Human-system interface design review guidelines

(NUREG-0700) –  These documents were last revised in 2012

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Nuclear Regulatory Guidance

•  The NRC is updating its guidance to stay current with recent research on advances in HFE methods and tools, and new technology being employed in plant and control room design.

•  The purpose of these safety reviews is to help ensure that personnel performance and reliability are appropriately supported.

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How is an Engineering Simulator Different?

•  Real-time simulators traditionally have been training tools (driven by nuclear industry): –  Full plant modeled but computing power limited the fidelity –  Models often “hand crafted” to mimic plant dynamics –  Basic models adequate for analog controls, traditional hard

panel control panels, and “old school” plant process computers

•  Today’s real-time simulator is high-fidelity: –  Same scope, but… –  High-definition predictive models used to model plant systems

•  Engineering-grade models for thermodynamics and neutronics

•  HD first-principle models used for all other systems •  Digital controls and modern digital interfaces provide very

detailed view of systems/plant –  As a holistic dynamic plant model

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•  Holistic engineering V&V platform •  Solving system design issue in integrated plant environment •  Allow validation of plant system designs in an integrated environment •  Allow the validation of systems design in transient and steady state

conditions •  Controls system design and V&V

•  Real-time HD simulator provides first holistic view of the plant •  Validation and refinement of logic and controls strategies is a key value

of simulator •  Human factors engineering platform

•  Support design of DCS interface, alarms, electronic procedures etc.. •  Support design of digital control rooms, information layout and

CONOPS •  Demonstrate viability of these designs to regulator (show me)

•  Develop and validate operating procedures •  Provides the plant buyer a simulator for training & licensing operators

earlier in the plant design and construction process

Role of the Engineering Simulator

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Relevant Simulator Experience

•  Fossil DCS upgrades (virtual commissioning)

•  Experience with 1st-of-a-kind projects –  Westinghouse AP1000 –  Pebble bed modular reactor –  NuScale Power –  mPower –  B&W FutureGen –  Ultra Supercritical –  Rolls Royce (Royal Navy)

Simulator Score Card Pressurized Water Reactor 85 Boiling Water Reactor 60

Fossil Fuel Plant 118 Process Plant 84

Graphite Moderated Reactor 8 Advanced Gas Reactors 4

Major Mods, Rehost, Upgrades

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GSE 1st-of-a-Kind Engineering Simulator Experience

Pebble Bed Modular Reactor IGCC China

Westinghouse AP1000

NuScale Power Ultra Supercritical Korea SMART

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

HYH CPR-1000 HFE and Control V&V Platfrom

B&W mPower Engineering and HFE Simulator

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HFE Simulators

•  USNRC –  Upgrade & convert existing

simulator with digital human system interface

–  RELAP5-HD primary model –  Digital control room interface

•  USNRC –  Generic PWR (ANS 3.5 simulator) –  Vpanel interface platform –  Developing digital HIS

•  INL –  Generic PWR (ANS 3.5 simulator) –  NuScale SMR HFE simulator

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More HFE GPWR Simulators

•  University of Central Florida (under contract to the US NRC) – Orlando, FL USA

•  Tennessee Valley Authority (Chattanooga State) – Chattanooga, TN USA

•  Nagoya University (supplied by NEL) – Nagoya, Japan

•  University of Manchester – Manchester, UK

•  Halden Reactor Project – Halden, Norway

•  Ohio State University – Columbus, OH USA

•  Texas A&M University – College Station, TX USA

•  Lockheed Martin Corporation – Grand Prairie, TX USA

•  EDF UK – Gloucester, UK •  City University Hong Kong, Kowloon,

Hong Kong •  University of Virginia (in

procurement) – Charlottesville, VA •  Center for Advanced Engineering

and Research (in procurement) – Forrest, VA USA

•  Auburn University (in procurement) – Auburn, AL USA”

•  GSE’s GPWR is based on an actual operating nuclear plant –  Thoroughly exercised and validated. –  Complete with full documentation including procedures and

training materials.

1st-of-a-Kind Engineering Simulator Project Perspective

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Example: New SMR (NuScale)

•  Current NRC requirements do not accommodate the next generation SMR control room designs:

•  Requirements for large scale reactors need to be evaluated for their appropriateness to SMR operations.

•  Current requirements interfere with the economic model of some SMRs.

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Background

•  The dynamic simulator will be the platform for the development and demonstration of this new plant design: –  HFE Platform for the new control

room design –  Control system design and V&V

platform –  System design validation

platform –  Marketing tool –  Training (critical path to plant

operation)

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Control Logic and Interface Design

•  Engineers develop controls, logic, basic control screens, and operating procedures –  JControl –  JDesigner

•  System design data is validated on high-fidelity models –  Steady state and

transient conditions –  System performance is

fed back to system design engineers via JStation

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HFE Simulator (Control Room)

HFE Simulator 12 Modules plus common systems 12 RELAP5, S3R, etc. 12 operator stations

Engineering Simulator 1 Module 1 RELAP5, S3R, stc.

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Westinghouse AP1000

•  Project objectives/deliverable –  To provide an integrated 1st-Principle high-fidelity

simulator models (actual plant is being designed) for: •  Human factors engineering (HFE) •  I&C/DCS validation & testing (simulated DCS) •  Train Westinghouse staff on use of simulation

technology

•  Major Project Achievements –  12 months project schedule (initial phase), on-

time delivery –  Communication interfaces between SimExec and

Ovation DCS –  Developed and V&V the plant system models

synchronize with plant design schedule

•  Project Status –  Complete all 3 phases of implementation –  Building 4 full-scope simulators for Westinghouse

•  Project Duration –  November 2004 to November 2006

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Initial Control Room Layout

Most Recent Control Room Layout

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•  Reduce Project Risk –  Continuously validate system designs early in design process

•  Steady state •  Validated in integrated and transient conditions

–  Provide a platform for validation of DCS system –  Provide a demonstration platform for regulators and customers

of plant operation and safety

•  Reduce Project Costs –  Provide platform for continuous development of control and

protection logic strategies on lower cost simulation platform –  Flexible lower cost HFE/control room development platform –  Delay commitment to a DCS vendor until the sale of the plant,

allow customer to choose DCS vendor

Engineering Simulator Value

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Engineering Case Study

•  ConEd Coal Station –  Plant initial commissioning –  Scheduled for 24 weeks –  Simulator purchased prior to plant startup to improve

training and operation, but…

•  As a result of the virtual commissioning of the digital control system: –  Startup was reduced by 12 weeks –  84 days of revenue generation was recovered at

$500K/day –  $42M additional revenue –  Simulator cost = $3.8M

•  This is typical for a these types of projects

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