Belgian simulator order for L-3 MAPPS
Canada-based L-3 MAPPS is to supply unit 1 of the Tihange nuclear power plant in Belgium with a full-scope operator training simulator.Canada-based L-3 MAPPS is to supply unit 1 of the Tihange nuclear power plant in Belgium with a full-scope operator training simulator.
L-3 MAPPS will supply a facility equipped with full replica control room panels, employing its graphical simulation tools for the plant models and instructor station, the value of which has not been disclosed.
.jpg "Tihange 460 (L-3 MAPPS)") |
| The three-unit Tihange plant (Image: L-3 MAPPS) |
All of Tihange 1's plant systems will be simulated in the Orchid simulation environment, including the reactor, nuclear steam supply system, balance of plant systems, the electrical distribution systems and the instrument and control systems. The electrical grid, including the main generators and transformers, will be modelled with FAST, a product of Tractebel Engineering, the engineering arm of plant owner Electrabel, itself a subsidiary of France's GDF-Suez.
The project will start immediately and will be led by Tractebel Engineering. The simulator is expected to enter service in early 2016.
Simulators are a vital piece of equipment for training plant operators, both at the start of their careers and for their continuing training.
Tihange 1 is a 962 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) that began operating in 1975 and is scheduled to close in 2025. The site hosts two larger PWRs which started up in the early 1980s and are both also due to shut by 2025.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
