ENGINEERING
SIMULATOR
A-D TECHNOLOGY
K. W. WONG
November 2009
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR
 OUTLINE
A. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A FULL SCOPE
SIMULATOR (FSS) AND AN ENGINEERING
SIMULATOR (ES)
B. DIFFERENT KINDS OF SIMULATORS
C. DESCRIPTION OF ENGINEERING SIMULATORS (ESs)
D. APPLICATION OF TOTAL ES
E. PLATFORM FOR DIGITAL I&C DEVELOPMENT AND
TESTING
F. DIFFERENT USUAGES OF ES
G. ADVANTAGES OF USING ES TO COMPLEMENT FSS
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A FSS
AND AN ES

A FSS is a “plant-referenced simulator”. It is to be used for training
and certification of operator and senior operator. It is to be used for
the administration of the operating test and to meet experience
requirements for applicants for operator and senior operator
licenses.
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In the United States, FSS is regulated in accordance with 10CFR 55.46
“Simulation facilities”.
Regulatory Guide 1.149 “Nuclear Power Simulation Facilities for Use
in Operator Training and License Examinations” describes methods
acceptable to US NRC.
Regulatory Guide 1.149 endorses ANSI/ANS-3.5-1998 “Nuclear Power
Plant Simulators for Use in Operator Training and Examination”.
Therefore, in the U.S a FSS must comply with requirements specified
in ANSI/ANS-3.5-1998.
An ES is not to be used for operating test and not to be used to meet
experience requirements, therefore, there is no requirement for
compliance with ANSI/ANS-3.5-1998.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
SIMULATORS - 1
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Plant Referenced Full Scope
Simulators
Part Task Simulators
Basic Principle Simulators
Compact Simulators
Graphical Simulators
Plant Analyzer
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
SIMULATORS - 2
A.
B.
C.
Plant Referenced Full Scope Simulators – for training and
certification of nuclear power plant operators and senior
operators.
Part Task Simulators – for training on a specific part of plant
operations or for training for special phenomena, e.g. for
training of steam generator tube ruptures. Specific plant
system(s) or phenomena may be simulated in detail.
Basic Principle Simulators – for illustration of general
concepts, demonstration of fundamental physical processes of
the nuclear power plant. The simulation scope focuses on the
main systems and auxiliary or support systems may be
neglected.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
SIMULATORS - 3
D.
E.
F.
Compact Simulators – for training on operating procedures in
a simplified form, for basic training of new operators, and
personnel not working in the control room. The scope of
simulation is typically limited and the full control room hard
panel can be replaced by soft panel.
Graphical Simulators – for representation of control
parameters and operating environment. For example, control
room panels may be displayed as hard panels or soft panels.
Plant Analyzer – for studying of complicated plant transients
and accidents in details. The full control room is not replicate.
Data for complex analysis of plant operating behavior is
typically represented in a format conducive to analysis.
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 1

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Total ES
Detailed core and
NSS systems process
modeling, e.g.
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RELAP5/NNKM
TRACS/NEMO
Complete and exact
NSS/BOP logic and
process modeling
Complete and exact
HSI modeling
Use soft panel to
represent control
room hard panel
B, C, D, E, F
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 2

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A specific application of the total ES to develop into
a DCIS test platform for the Taipower Lungmen
ABWR Project is now described.
An ideal test environment for digital I&C validation
will be to connect the digital I&C system(s) to be
tested to a nuclear power reactor and operate the
nuclear power reactor in different scenarios to
generate different sets of test signals to test the
digital I&C system(s). However, this will not happen.
In the past
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Use test fixtures and test tools to generate limited amount
of test signals
Use simple simulators to generate limited and approximate
test signals
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 3

In Lungmen ABWR Project, a total ES is
used as the basis to provide the test
environment to perform close loop
validation for digital I&C systems.
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 4

Application of Total ES (Lungmen DCIS Test Platform)
 Core Modeling (TRACS/NEMO)
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Thermal hydraulics
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Neutronics
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3-D core modeling (209 assembly nodes X 14 axial nodes)
209 fuel assemblies map to 7 thermal-hydraulic channels
NSS & BOP Systems Modeling
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Detailed modeling of 105 plant systems
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3-D Vessel
1-D Components
Detailed process modeling
Detailed logic modeling – one to one exact replica of plant control logic diagram
Detailed electrical modeling – one to one exact replica of electrical diagram
Control Room HSI Modeling
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Complete and exact HSI using display translation tool
Soft panel to represent control room hard panel
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 5
Ref.: C. C. Chen, et al., Engineering V&V for DCIS Lungmen Nuclear
Power Plant, NPIC&HMIT 2009, Knoxville, Tennessee, April 5-9, 2009
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 6
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Major control systems - non-safety systems
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Invensys – IPS I/A
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MHI
Hitachi
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Rod Control Information System
GEIS – Mark-VI/VIe
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Most of non-safety systems
Systems related to turbine control
Feedwater Control System
Recirculation Flow Control System
Steam Bypass and Pressure Control System
Automatic Power Regulation System
Major control systems - safety systems
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GE NUMAC
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Neutron Monitoring System
Reactor Protection System
Leak Detection and Isolation System
DRS Plus 32
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Engineered Safety Feature Systems
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 7
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Total ES System Description
 Invensys Application Workstation, AW70
 Invensys FSIM Plus resided in a PC
 Invensys Redundant Field Device System Integrator Module,
FBM233
 Invensys Redundant Fieldbus Communications Module,
FCM100Et
 Invensys Control Processor, CP270
 Total ES Server
 PC to document test results
 Network system
Invensys FSIM Plus is integrated with Total ES Server
This allows as built digital control system software to be
validated in a fully simulated plant environment.
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 8
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CONCEPTUAL VIEW
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 9
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Physical View
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 10
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Software Description
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Invensys FSIM Plus
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Total ES
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Contains as built logics for the systems to be validated
Detailed reactor core modeling
Detailed process modeling for 105 plant systems
Detailed logic modeling for 105 plant systems
Control Room Human System Interface
Communication software between Total ES
and FSIM
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MODBUS protocol
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 11
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Communication description
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A MODBUS driver is available as part of Invensys FBM233 system.
Software based on the MODBUS protocol is developed and installed in the ES server to
enable communication between FSIM Plus and ES.
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 12
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Data transfer between Total
ES and FSIM
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Before Test (Verification of
P28 control logic)
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P28 logic model within Total ES
sent valve position command to
P28 process model within Total
ES
P28 process model within Total
ES perform process calculation
and return valve position input
and pressure input back to P28
logic model within Total ES
During Test (Verification of
P28 control logic)
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P28 logic model within Total ES
is disabled.
P28 process model within Total
ES is directed to communicate
with FSIM via MODBUS
interface
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 13

The Total ES is used to perform dynamic, integrated,
interactive and close-loop testing of DCIS non-safety
related systems.
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Dynamic testing means performing testing of the digital
systems under different operational scenarios (normal,
abnormal and transient) of the nuclear power plant.
Integrated testing means performing testing of the digital
systems as an integral part of the total plant rather than as
isolated individual systems.
Interactive testing means performing testing of the digital
systems including human system interactions.
Close-loop testing means that there will be feedback from
the plant to the system to be tested.
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 14
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Validation of 10 BOP systems has been completed (Ref.: ChiaKuang Lee, et al., Digital System Validation Testing in the
Lungmen Project, NPIC&HMIT 2009, Knoxville, Tennessee,
April 5-9, 2009)
Additional validation of 24 BOP systems is in progress and
expected to be completed by June 2010.
Three kinds of validations are performed
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Validation of human system interface
Validation of logics and alarms
Validation of System Operation Procedures (SOP)
Automating tools have been developed to facilitate validation.
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 15

Engineering simulator capabilities used
include
Software panel to enable operator action
 Insertion of initial conditions (IC)
 Setting up of remote functions (RF) to
simulate local operator actions
 Using malfunctions and variable overwrite
to trigger different equipment conditions
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ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 16
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Test results of the 10 BOP systems include
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HSI deviations
Logic/alarm deviations
DCIS implementation deviations
Data base deviations
SOP deviations
Test results are documented and submitted
for follow up action
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 17
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Currently in progress
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Set up Test Platform to validate Triple Modular
Redundant (TMR) Systems
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1 GE MARK VI Suitcase Trainer to validate
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1 GE MARK VIe Suitcase Trainer to validate
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Steam Bypass and Pressure Control System (C85)
Feedwater Control System (C31)
Recirculation Flow Control System (C81)
Automatic Power Regulation System (C82)
Interfaces between Total ES and GE MARK VI/VIe
ENGINEERING SIMULATOR - 18
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In progress
PLATFORM FOR DIGITAL I&C
DEVELOPMENT/ TESTING


The TOTAL ES will act as a
“Virtual Plant” providing plant
data to drive individual Plant
Digital I&C system or
integrated Plant Digital I&C
system.
Interface with Plant Digital
I&C system
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HARD I/O INTERFACE that
will provide I/O signals to
drive the Digital I&C Hard
I/O system.
NETWORK INTERFACE that
will provide datalink soft I/O
to drive the Digital I&C
system.
CRITERIA FOR
DIGITAL I&C PLATFORM
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Criteria for the Digital I&C Test Platform
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The core modeling should be based on advanced best
estimate core modeling codes.
The process and logic modeling should be the same as the
actual plant.
A V&V process should be implemented to assure that the
implementation of the plant process and logic modeling is
correct.
A configuration management process should be in place
to assure that updates and modifications of the digital
I&C platform are tracked.
Testing should be formal, structured and documented.
Processes and tools should be in place to document,
record and present test results and the performance of
testing.
MULTIPLE USUAGES OF ES - 1
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Development and testing for Digital I&C
Dynamic and interactive design and validation of
plant control systems
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One system at a time
Several systems/group of systems at a time
Integrated system
Dynamic verification of plant procedures
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Normal, abnormal and emergency procedures
Test procedures (Pre-operation Test, Startup Test)
MULTIPLE USUAGES OF ES - 2
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Plant analysis
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Conceptual studies
Transient and accident analysis
Design analysis and optimization
Establishing process parameters and equipment
sizing
Efficiency improvement studies
Root cause analysis of observed phenomena
Failure mode and effects analysis
MULTIPLE USUAGES OF ES - 3
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Design, Design change and plant modification
analysis and verification
Human Factor Engineering (HFE) design,
analysis and V&V
Training and Education
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Operation training
Engineering training
System/component training
Modeling training
Fundamental concept training
MULTIPLE USUAGES OF ES - 4
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Research and Development
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Software V&V methodology study – role of
advanced simulators
Common failure, diversity, defense in depth
study using advanced simulators
PRA and risk assessment study using
advanced simulators