Page 205 - Dynamics and Control of Nuclear Reactors

CHAPTER

15
Nuclear plant simulators

15.1 Introduction
Many computer-based simulators are available for training and/or education. They
provide students and/or trainees with experience that helps them to understand reac-
tor behavior during normal operation and during postulated accident conditions. The
student or trainee initiates control actions to achieve desired reactor conditions,
including actions that stop accident conditions or minimize undesirable conse-
quences of an accident.

15.2 Types of simulators and their purpose
15.2.1 Simulator games
The simplest simulator is a game simulator on a personal computer. Numerous game
simulators are available as free downloads on the internet. They provide the user with
an ability to drive the simulated response to a desired objective condition. Game sim-
ulators provide results that illustrate the way a reactor behaves. They do not provide
high-fidelity simulation of a specific reactor design. The emphasis is a qualitative
illustration of how a reactor works. They are intended for use by students and inter-
ested citizens. Refs. [1–7] show some simulator games that are available on the
Internet (in 2019).

15.2.2 Desk-top simulators
Desk-top simulators include those that run on software loaded onto a personal com-
puter and those that run on personal computers connected to software via the Internet.
Desk-top simulators for training and education provide high-fidelity simulations
of specific reactor types. Refs. [8–14] show some simulators for education and train-
ing that are available on the internet (in 2019). They include part-task simulators and
whole-plant simulators. These include simulators that are commercially available
and tailored for a specific reactor.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) provides whole-plant and part-
task desk-top simulators (A part-task simulator simulates only a reactor sub-system)
that run on software loaded onto a personal computer. IAEA simulators are widely
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