Nuclear system test simulator
First Claim
1. A transportable test simulator for a nuclear power plant, the nuclear power plant including a control panel, a reactor having a plurality of actuated rods for moving into and out of a reactor for causing said plant to operate, and a control rod network extending between said control panel and said reactor rods, said network serially transmitting command words between said panel and rods, said network further having connecting interfaces at preselected points remote from said control panel between said control panel and rods, said test simulator comprising:
- a test simulator input for transport to and connection into said network at at least one said interface for receiving said serial command words from said network, each said serial command including an identifier portion and a command portion;
means for processing interior of said simulator for said serial command words for identifying that portion of said power plant designated in said identifier portion and processing said word responsive to the command portion of said word after said identification;
means for generating a response word responsive to said command portion; and
output means for sending and transmitting said response word to said nuclear power plant at said interface whereby said control panel responds to said response word.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable, microprocessor-based test instrument for the calibration, check testing, and checkout of nuclear power reactor systems under simulated operating conditions. The instrument includes a master microprocessor bus having direct communication to interchangeable plug-in printed circuit boards. Applications to which the invention may be put include rod control simulation and analysis, neutron monitoring system analysis, and rod block monitoring system simulation and analysis. The test instrument electronically interconnects at any of a plurality of points within a reactor control and monitoring system. The electrical network from the point of interconnection to the core rods is disabled and the test instrument, receives serial control command signals as would the disabled portion of the network. The test instrument also generates appropriate acknowledgements and response signals. Alternatively, a test instrument can generate faulty response signals to simulate improper command responses.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A transportable test simulator for a nuclear power plant, the nuclear power plant including a control panel, a reactor having a plurality of actuated rods for moving into and out of a reactor for causing said plant to operate, and a control rod network extending between said control panel and said reactor rods, said network serially transmitting command words between said panel and rods, said network further having connecting interfaces at preselected points remote from said control panel between said control panel and rods, said test simulator comprising:
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a test simulator input for transport to and connection into said network at at least one said interface for receiving said serial command words from said network, each said serial command including an identifier portion and a command portion; means for processing interior of said simulator for said serial command words for identifying that portion of said power plant designated in said identifier portion and processing said word responsive to the command portion of said word after said identification;
means for generating a response word responsive to said command portion; and
output means for sending and transmitting said response word to said nuclear power plant at said interface whereby said control panel responds to said response word. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A process for testing a nuclear power plant with a test simulator wherein the nuclear power plant includes a control panel, a reactor having a plurality of actuated rods for moving in and out of a reactor for causing said plant to operate, and a control rod network extending between said control panel and said reactor rods, said network serially transmitting command words between said panel and rods each said serial command including an identifier portion and a command portion, said network including a plurality of connection interfaces at preselected points remote from said control panel within said network, the process of testing said nuclear power plant comprising the steps of:
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providing a transportable test simulator having inputs and outputs for connection into said network at said interfaces; transporting said test simulator to one of said interfaces;
unplugging said interface to deactivate the command path between said control panel and reactor;connecting said simulator interstitially within said interface; processing interior of said simulator of said command words between said rods and control panel, said processing including the steps of identifying that portion of said power plant designated in said identifier portion and responding to the command portion of said word after said identification;
generating a response word interior of said simulator responsive to said command portion; and
outputting said command word at said interface whereby said control panel responds to said response word. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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Specification