Simulator upgrade for South Texas

Full-scope and classroom simulators at the South Texas Project nuclear power plant are to be modernized and upgraded to include severe accident simulation models under an agreement between L-3 MAPPS and STP Nuclear Operating Company.

Full-scope and classroom simulators at the South Texas Project nuclear power plant are to be modernized and upgraded to include severe accident simulation models under an agreement between L-3 MAPPS and STP Nuclear Operating Company.

South Texas Project's simulator (Image: L-3 MAPPS)

The South Texas Project simulators will be updated to L-3 MAPP's Orchid simulation platform and will also be connected to the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI's) Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP5). The MAAP5 computer code, which is licensed separately by EPRI, is used to predict the progression of light water reactor accidents enabling the analysis of severe accident conditions, including assessments of core damage and radiological transport.

The simulators will also be equipped with new 2D and 3D animated, interactive visualizations of the reactor vessel, containment building and used fuel pool to provide operators with additional insight into the behaviour of the plant during severe accidents. They will be used for training scenarios relating to degraded reactor core conditions that result in fuel melting, including cladding oxidation and hydrogen generation, vessel failure, containment failure and fission product release.

South Texas Project's two 1280 MWe pressurized water reactors have been in commercial operation since the late 1980s. The units are owned by NRG Energy, CPS Energy and Austin Energy, and operated by STP Nuclear Operating Company.

The work to modernize and upgrade the simulators will begin soon and will be completed during the fourth quarter of 2016, L-3 MAPPS said in a statement.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News