ENGINEERING | SIMULATION


Step 1


HMI concept validation


Step 2


I&C consistency validation


Step 3 Functional validation


Early engineering simulator


PICS PICS PICS SICS


Operational I&C


SICS


Safety I&C


Operational I&C


Safety I&C


SICS


Engineering simulator


Full scope simulator


Step 4 De-risk


commissioning


Step 5 Training


CORYS INTEGRATION & SIMULATION PLATFORM


Operator instructions


Operator instructions


Sensor & actuator procedures Comm.


Operator training


External emulations


Step 2 – Validation of the consistency of the plant I&C systems: (operational and safety-related). All different I&C systems can be virtually integrated, whereas at the real test-bay, full interconnection is not always possible. Combined with the displays of Step 1, the understanding of I&C functions is effectively enhanced and their complexity reduced (versus interpretation of underlying piping and logic circuitry diagrams). Testing material already developed for the open loop test campaign can be reused. The platform also assists in drafting electronic plant operating manuals. Step 3 – Functional validation: this is the most costly step, as it requires a plant model, including accurate models of systems’ hydraulic and electrical parts. Models can be based on the CORYS simulation platform ALICES®


or on any other


model used in the project (eg for plant transient analysis). Step 4 – De-risk commissioning: At this step, ELVEES is a worthy engineering simulator able to support commissioning activities and de-risk them. Commissioning procedures and test instructions can be prepared. Step 5 – Training: The transition from an engineering simulator to a full-scope simulator is quite small, when both share the same models. Commonly known FSS-related challenges can be simplified and would consist ideally of erecting and cabling a replica of the plant main control room.


There is no need to stop here. Exploration of design variants is easily implementable for further optimisation of the design. ELVEES is deployed in new-build projects and has


reached its intended objective to be an integrated part of the engineering process. The first step was adopted in 2019 by the departments


for human factors engineering and human-machine interface (HFE and HMI). This practice provides better formalisation and standardisation of the process of design and evaluation. Finally, ELVEES allows engineers of various plant disciplines come together and jointly explore problems and resolve them in a holistic manner, optimally taking into account each discipline’s tradeoffs and constraints.


The Step 2 tools have been developed and their use is being established. Demonstrations have shown that issues that are hard to discover using conventional methods are easier to identify, resolve, and report. Step 3 will start soon with the integration of a simulation model of a PWR, complemented by some ALICES®


models.


Automate to speed up The simulator company may be on the critical path when a virtual environment is required for validation. This seems obvious for Step 3 (functional validation) where a process model is expected. Step 1 (validation of operator displays) is quite straightforward if data close to the implementation are available. However, if these are only high level specifications, simulated logic should also be added at this stage.


One way to manage time constraints is to embed


simulator engineers within the team, but this my not be enough to speed up variant deliveries if multiple scenarios need to be verified. The key is in automating the modelling work as much as possible. According to the positioning in the life cycle, operator


displays can be imported in ELVEES either from graphic specifications (Visio files) or from the DCS implementation files (Siemens TEC4 formalism). When only a graphic sketch is provided, it is analysed to automatically create models required for the dynamic execution. This includes all the level 0 sensors and actuators, part of the logic level 1 and part of the alarms and commands. Although the rest of the environment must be built by hand, this greatly reduces the effort to set up the test bench. CORYS wants to go further by offering simulation adapted


to work during the preliminary design phases. In such projects, human factors engineers would like to quickly evaluate the main operating principles of the plant by performing the significant transients. More than a modelling environment, they need a very accessible prototyping tool. This will be one of the challenges raised in the ICAREx


project, led by EDF, which recently qualified for France’s Relance post-Covid stimulus funding, as part of the nuclear industry modernisation programme: On track towards Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and GEN IV Reactors. ■


www.neimagazine.com | November 2021 | 31


Above: Five steps showing evolution of ELVEES


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45