Training simulator for a nuclear power plant

Abstract

A training simulator for the full-scope real-time dynamic operation of a nuclear power plant utilizes apparatus that includes control consoles having manual and automatic devices for operating simulated plant components and indicating devices for monitoring physical values in the simulated plant. A general purpose digital computer configuration is connected to the control consoles to accept input data indicative of the operated condition of the console control devices and perform dynamic real-time simulation calculations for providing output data to the monitoring devices. An instructor's console, which has control and indicating devices, is connected to the computer configuration to perform functions that include initializing and 'replaying' selected operational states of the simulated plant. The majority of the control components of the simulated plant, such as valves, pumps and controllers, are simulated separately from the simulated system they control. The computer organization is structured to perform a combination of sequential data processing at predetermined repetitive time intervals; and to perform event oriented data processing with the capability of recognizing and processing data immediately upon the occurrence of an event. When the simulated plant is initialized or 'replayed,' the computer functions provide indications of the plant control devices which do not positionally correspond to the plant status. A plural digital computer arrangement is disclosed wherein the data in each computer is processed by its own control arrangement; and the interdependent data is synchronized by the control function on one computer and data link communication between computers.