Simulation - not for play

A reactor unit of a Nuclear Power Plant is a sophisticated facility. The main equipments and the numerous supporting and assistant technology systems are controlled from an only place, from the so called Unit Control Room by the Control Staff. The members of the Control Staff, usually five persons, inspect and control thousands of gauges, indicator, switches, dozens of computer screens.

A Nuclear Power Plant simulator is established to the Unit Control Staff for training and exercises of the procedures regarding the start, stop and operation of a reactor unit. Moreover they develop their skills to diagnose failures and malfunctions and to eliminate them following the valid operating instructions and regulations. According to these demands a NPP simulator consists in a Unit Control Room identical with a real one and background simulation computers. A simulator is complete with operating instructors responsible for the simulation training.

Simulator of the Paks NPP was built between 1985 and 1988 with Finnish-Hungarian cooperation. This equipment, regarded as a computer Methuselah according to its age, is not an old and obsolete machine. As a result of continuous development and replacements of hardware and software components it considered as advanced and effective equipment. Its simulation capacity is able to mirror the whole operation of the power plant thus it participates not only in the trainings but it is applied for inspection and validation of technologies, operation instructions and test scenarios. Moreover, it plays its role in development of new control systems and the maintenance of the existing ones.

Recently operation and development of the simulator requires no foreign partners, its crew is able to make minor modifications. Major developments are accomplished by Hungarian institutes (mainly by KFKI AEKI and BME NTI). Recently the simulator has been under a substantial renovation. Increase of the power capacity of the reactor units in the Paks NPP requires renewal of fundamental elements including replacement of the main computer.