Training Nuclear Power Station Operators Using a Simulator
Anyone working in the energy sector can attest to the fact that human error is the greatest contributor to the risk of a severe accident happening in a power plant. This is backed up by both operational experience and safety analysis. These accidents can have dire consequences, especially when the plant in question is a nuclear power station.
It is, therefore, imperative that not only highly skilled professionals are employed to manage the operation and maintenance of a plant, but that these individuals are also continuously upskilled to ensure their knowledge is sufficient and up to date. Experience has shown that the best way to reduce human error is by investing in training through a realistic, high-fidelity simulator.
Typically – and as one would expect it to be – operators are not usually exposed to accident environments. In an ideal world, things happen as they should, without error and without fail. However, this lack of exposure to these challenges could also lead to a loss of flexibility and slower response time when things do go wrong.
A nuclear power station simulator provides an ideal and safe environment where operators can work through these incidents and their accompanying emergency procedures, in order to speed up their response times and diagnosis of plant conditions, as well as become accustomed to the use of emergency operating instructions, as well as the use of operator aids like the safety parameter display system.
Recognising, avoiding, and/or managing emergency situations may be a very good reason to make use of a nuclear power station simulator, but this is certainly not the only use for it. A high-quality, customised nuclear power station simulator is instrumental in teaching skills related to the following areas:
- A deeper understanding of the working of individual components, equipment, systems, and processes
- The standard start-up, operation, and shutdown of a plant
- The suitable response to (and familiarity with procedures regarding) plant transient, abnormal, and emergency situations
- Operating experience related to the plant and the industry
- Refreshing and instilling the theory and fundamentals of power plants
- Developing diagnostic, teamwork, and communication skills
Aside from the exceptional real-life training opportunities these simulations offer, they also make great business sense. A nuclear power station simulator provides faster and more effective training than traditional education methods, with far-reaching consequences. Any business or operation needs to manage their staff turnover, as this can be a costly exercise that could lead to significant disruptions.
In the highly specialised field of nuclear power, this is even more applicable. Downtime needs to be avoided as far as possible. Simulator training provides one of the fastest and most effective ways to get a station operator up and running.
The great thing about simulators is that they create a fully formed, realistic environment that matches your unique plant exactly. This means that you can use the simulation for a number of purposes. Not only is it a great way to onboard new team members or develop new talent, but it is also a great way to keep your current team fresh and prepared for any eventuality.
Where to Find a Reliable and Up-To-Date Nuclear Power Station Simulator That Meets All Your Requirements
We are an advanced plant simulator development company that specialises in engineering, training, and DCS check-out simulators. We have developed over 75 full and partial scope simulators, including nuclear power station ones, plus developed the necessary manuals and instructional services to provide the highest quality, most comprehensive training available to plant operators today.
We do this by using our extremely powerful, integrated software platform, SimuPACT. This platform combines the latest software technologies and engineering strategies to create a product that enables quicker development of full-scope plant simulators, while also delivering higher accuracy.
Furthermore, it is exceptionally easy to customise, as SimuPACT sports a totally open, customisable architecture that allows engineers to integrate their own solvers, libraries, and schedulers, or even control all functions from an external application using any Microsoft .NET capable programming language.
The future of energy lies in the innovative use of technology. Do not get left behind. To find out more about the training options available through SimuPACT, including our highly effective nuclear power station simulator, get in touch with us today.
