Nuclear power plant control room simulator

• US 8,977,526 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exelon Generation Company LLC (Exelon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exelon Generation Company LLC (Exelon Corporation)
• Inventors: Jedlowski, Andrew, Smith, David A., Dickson, Andrew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US12/699,140
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 703/17, 703/18, 701/2, 701/16, 701/33.2, 434/38, 434/29, 706/52, 700/292, 700/9, 700/292.9, 340/56, 702/182, 345/1.1, 715/219, 726/3, 361/679.31
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/02 of industrial processes; of machinery
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A system is provided for simulating an operating environment of a power plant control room (e.g., a nuclear power plant control room). The system may include a simulator configured to simulate the operating environment of the control room, and a simulation computer in communication with the simulator, wherein the simulation computer may be configured to perform a plurality of real-time calculations associated with modeling the operating environment of the control room. The simulator and the simulation computer may include only standard off-the-shelf components.

Claims

1. A system for simulating an operating environment of a power plant control room comprising:

a simulator configured to simulate the operating environment of a power plant control room; and

a simulation computer in communication with the simulator, the simulation computer configured to perform a plurality of real-time calculations associated with modeling the operating environment of the power plant,

wherein the simulator comprises a plurality of hardware components, wherein the simulation computer comprises a plurality of hardware components, and wherein the hardware components of the simulator and the simulation computer cooperate to define a hardware platform of the system,

wherein each hardware component of the hardware platform is a standard off-the-shelf component, and

wherein the simulator and the simulator computer satisfy at least one of;

(a) the regulations of NRC Regulatory Guide §

1.149; and

(b) applicable American National Standards Institute (ANSI) simulator standards.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator is further configured to simulate the operating environment of a nuclear power plant control room.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator further comprises a Pico-ITX system based on a VIA PX10000G pico ITX motherboard.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator further comprises a monitor configured to display information similar to information likely to be displayed in a power plant control room.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the monitor comprises a standard video graphics array liquid crystal display monitor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator further comprises a Piezo.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator further comprises a keylock switch.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the key-lock switch further comprises a two-position switch associated with a mode of operation of the simulator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator is configured to receive input from a user and to transmit the user input to the simulation computer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein in order to perform the plurality of calculations, the simulation computer is further configured to perform the plurality of calculations based at least in part on the user input.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the simulation computer is further configured to transmit one or more results of the plurality of calculations to the simulator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the simulator is further configured to generate an output to the user based at least in part on the one or more results.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator and the simulation computer are in communication via a category 6 (CAT6) cable.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator further comprises memory configured to store display and logic software developed based on Visual Basic.NET.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator has a front plate, and wherein the front plate is configured to permit adjustable mounting of at least one hardware component of the hardware platform to the front plate.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator has back shelving, and wherein the back shelving is configured to permit adjustable mounting of at least one hardware component of the hardware platform to the back shelving.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator and the simulator computer satisfy both:

(a) the regulations of NRC Regulatory Guide §

1.149; and

(b) applicable American National Standards Institute (ANSI) simulator standards.

18. A system for simulating an operating environment of a power plant control room comprising:

a simulator comprising a plurality of hardware components;

a simulation computer comprising a plurality of hardware components;

wherein the hardware components of the simulator and the simulation computer cooperate to define a hardware platform of the system,

wherein each hardware component of the hardware platform is a standard off-the-shelf component;

the simulator comprising;

a computing device having a processor configured to simulate the operating environment of a power plant control room;

a display monitor in communication with the computing device, the display monitor comprising a standard video graphics array (VGA) liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor;

a user input device in communication with the computing device, the user input device being connected to the computing device via a USB keyboard encoder;

a Piezo in communication with the computing device, the Piezo being configured to produce a sound effect in response to at least one of a detected parameter and an input received from a user; and

a keylock switch in communication with the computing device, wherein the keylock switch is configured to permit selective adjustment of the mode of the system between an “

operate”

mode and an “

in-op”

mode; and

the simulation computer in communication with the simulator via a category 6 (CAT6) cable, the simulation computer configured to perform a plurality of real-time calculations associated with modeling the operating environment of the power plant, wherein at least one real-time calculation of the plurality of real-time calculations is performed in response to a user input received by the computing device of the simulator, and wherein the results of the plurality of real-time calculations are transmitted to the computing device of the simulator,

wherein the simulator is configured to cause a corresponding action in response to receipt of the results of the plurality of real-time calculations, and

wherein the simulator and the simulator computer satisfy at least one of;

(a) the regulations of NRC Regulatory Guide §

1.149; and

(b) applicable American National Standards Institute (ANSI) simulator standards.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor of the simulator is configured to generate and display a display screen corresponding to the display screen displayed in a power plant control room when a heightened level of radiation is detected.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein processor of the simulator is configured to receive a user input in response to the simulated detected heightened level of radiation.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the simulator comprises a memory in communication with the processor of the computing device, and wherein the memory stores computer program instructions and data associated with the WINDOWS operating system, and wherein the memory stores display and logic software developed based on Visual Basic.NET.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the simulator and the simulator computer satisfy both:

(a) the regulations of NRC Regulatory Guide §

1.149; and

(b) applicable American National Standards Institute (ANSI) simulator standards.