Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (PHWR) Simulator

The Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has developed the ACR700 (Advanced CANDU Reactor 700) as the next generation CANDU with goals of reduced capital cost, shorter construction schedule, higher capacity factor, lower operating cost, increased operating life, simpler components, replacement, and enhanced safety features. Passive safety features drawn from those of the existing CANDU plants (e.g., the two independent shutdown systems), and other passive features are added to strengthen the safety of the plant – these safety features are implemented in the simulator. The simulator was developed by CTI Simulation International Corporation in 2005.

The advanced PHWR simulator operational specifics are listed as follows:

• The emphasis in developing the simulation models was on giving the desired level of realism to the user in displaying those plant parameters that are most critical to plant operation, including the ones that characterize the main operational processes, control and protective systems.
• Details of the AECL HWR designs can be found in the IAEA ARIS Database
• The interaction between the user and the simulator is via a combination of monitor displays, mouse and keyboard. Parameter monitoring and operator controls implemented via the plant display system at the generating station are represented in a virtually. identical manner on the simulator’s screens. Control panel instruments and control devices, such as push–buttons and hand–switches, are shown as stylized pictures, and are operated via special pop–up menus and dialog boxes in response to user inputs.
• There is no possibility to model severe accidents.

Nomral Operation

• Power Reduction/Increase
• Normal Reactor Trip

Malfunction Transient Events

• Reactor Setback and Stepback Fail
• One Bank of MCA Rods Drop into the Reactor Core
• All MCA Rods “Stuck”‖to Manual
• Pressurizer Pressure Relief Valve Fails Open
• Coolant Feed Valve Fails Open
• Coolant Bleed Valve Fails Open
• Pressurizer Heaters #2 to # 6 Turned "ON" by Malfunction
• Reactor Inlet Header Break
• Loss of One HTS Pump
• Loss of Two HTS Pumps in One Loop
• All Level Control Isolation Valves Fail Closed
• One Level Control Valve Fails Open/Closed
• Main Feedwater Pump Trips
• All Main Steam Safety Relief Valves Open
• Steam Header Break
• Steam Flow Transmitter Failure
• Turbine Spurious Trip