Nice quick video. I was a simulator engineer at several plants for over 33 years, got to work on several machines like that. Always find it interesting how each plant is a bit different.
@@lecturesandlearningchannel6605 Mostly Nine Mile Point 1& 2 and James A FitzPatrick. But as a contractor did shorter stints on Vermont Yankee, and RGE. Then went to NRC Chattanooga where they had five different plant sims. Along with some brief visits to some others. Retired now though.
@@mikefochtman7164 that's awesome. I supported an assessment at Fitzpatrick back in Feb 2010. There wasn't any training that week but I did get to see the simulator. I got to help disassemble Vermont Yankee simulator when Monticello bought it. Same plant BWR3. It was pretty neat seeing what went into putting one together.
The Utility I retired from had a control room simulator mock up for a big Sub Station /Generating plant . All of the switchboard meters were driven by 4-20ma signals and the indicating lights were I think 5 Volts . They would conduct training exercises for operators with all kinds of disaster scenarios with the instructors initiating problems and watching the attendee's responses behind a two way mirror to see how they handled duress . I attended a Grounding training class in that simulator where we had to put on full Grounding PPE to install small clip jumpers attached to 1/4" wooden dowl rods on the copper mimic ground bus on the switch boards after testing the mimic bus conductors de-energized with a DVM . I complained to the class instructor that he couldn't be serious about suiting up and using these mini grounding sticks . He said if I didn't complete the exercise I wouldn't pass the class . It was like that scene from the Zoolander movie about the miniature school for kids that "don't ground so good "
I would sit through a 4 hour walkthrough of every obscura in that room.... Like the microphones pointing at you from above the panels for recording all conversations in a control room in case of emergency investigations
Thanks for the tour. I was interested by what appeared to be 3rd or 4th generation GEMAC for your recirc controllers. At my plant we retired the GEMACs long ago in favor of Moore's. Also surprised to see an actual paper recorder (although I couldn't tell the application) at around 3:25. We replaced our last paper recorders shortly before I retired in 2015. Thanks for your service Chief. ET1 76-84 USS Enterprise.
I was able to see the simulator at Palisades here in Michigan about 25 years ago. Some of this looked familiar. As I write this, Palisades was shut down for the last time about two weeks ago. Holtec will then take ownership from Entergy on July 1 and begin the decommissioning process.
@@lecturesandlearningchannel6605 It would be better if we were building new plants to replace them. It’s too bad so many are against one of the best sources of clean energy.
Thank you for all those awesome videos they’re very fascinating to watch! I’m a control room operator at a chemical plant that has it’s own power plant on site. Our control room recently got modernized and I was able to buy some of the old equipment including about 100 panel meters, 20 chart recorders, 25 electric controllers, around 150 switches and a lot of the old annunciators. Now I’m planning on building a simplified generic BWR simulator in my basement. May I ask for your expertise on which systems I should implement and which ones to leave out? It would be extremely helpful to have closeup pictures of those systems but I understand that this might not be possible.
Would it be possible that you can show also demonstration of the simulator, maybe some scenarios or just seeing how it operates. Things like disconnecting the grind and see what happens... just doing things that you could and should not do with the real thing ;) That would be amazing to see. I love control rooms and dials.... . Thanks for this Video! But i can understand if it is under NDA or confidential information
@@williamsplays8528 ok sure control room makes sense. But i have never seen any videos from simulators, where you actually see what is beeing done, only the typical example of initializing a scram, would be so interesting to realy see how problems are worked on, as an electrical engineer. Would be just interesting to get a glance. just seeing dials move and system acting to circumstances is just fascinating
@@heinrichhein2605 yeah, the reason is because simulators were made after the law was passed, so it is technically legal. I'll send you the best videos I have if you want.
@@heinrichhein2605 Here is a good one. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BuLuQvxJTpQ.html as well as one from the china syndrome movie which used an actual BWR simulator to film. So everything that happens is real and has happened, including the stuck needle. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nemYBeT4aQY.html
Thanks for the walkthrough currently studying to become an engineer at KTH. Don’t know if I’ll chose a master in nuclear yet… I have a question! Where does the system that keeps the reactor loop water clean dispose of all the residue and dirt that it collects? I can imagine it must be very contaminated. Do you ship it out with the used fuel?
I know of 2 power plants that have renamed everything into a funky mess. Your circ water system is called RC for condenser recirculating system. The reactor coolant system is NC for who knows why. The list goes on for literally everything.
Those aren't the names of these circ water and reactor coolant systems. I agree with you that a few plants have some funky names, but this one and Monticello are pretty straight-forward.
I have a question, at 0:28 on the electrical control panel there are lines that connect systems and some are separated by two squiggly lines, what do those squiggly lines represent? I was considering possibly transformers?
You are correct. Those indicate transformers. Some step-up voltage such as the transformer between the main generator and the grid. Some step-down voltage such as the 4160V to 480V transformers.
@@lecturesandlearningchannel6605 will this tool ever be functional and available for public or educational use? I think this style of simulator would appeal to a good niche of enthusiasts.
@@OhKnow379 These control room simulators are expensive to operate and maintain. It's not likely they will be available for public or educational use except by exception. For example, when I worked at the Monticello nuclear power plant, we regularly opened up the simulator for scheduled tours such as with scout groups, educators, etc. It depends on the station.
Oh yeah. Definitely. Nuke plants in the US were designed starting in the late 50s through the early 70s. The controls represent those years. The US went through about 30 years with no commercial nuclear power plants built. Now, the new plants like Vogtle's new units use touch screen monitors with graphic interface controls.
@@lecturesandlearningchannel6605 That's what I figured but I am not too familiar with Nuke generation. I kind of wondered if the tactile controls were hardwired to a DCS. Looks like the set of China Syndrome. Ha
Question. in the future turns of reactor management, would simplifying the data to the point; where a non trained personnel could effectively run the reactor Would that be better or worse? I think in terms of service and security it may-be worse. due to the fact that the simplest way to run something, may make it simpler to ruin it.
I think that with what we learned from Fukushima, it's important to have multiple data points available. Sometimes, if things go bad, you want to have more data sources from which to interpolate the conditions in the core. However, with the SMRs coming on line in the next 10 years or so, we will see somewhat simplified control rooms. They will definitely be getting a technology update, which is nice.
Imagine being Elon Musk and being able to afford to have one of these in your basement just to play with. Probably right next to the starship Enterprise Bridge simulator and down the hall from the "buttload of full motion flight simulators" wing. Whoever said money can't buy you happiness was obviously poor.
You know how you can book a Flight Simulators to see how you would crash a 747 on Final? I would book a nuclear power plant simulator to see if i manage to make a Fukushima 2.0
It depends on your age. The easiest is to join the Navy's nuclear power program, do the minimum while qualifying the maximum, then getting out and going commercial nuclear. Many colleges and technical programs offer a pipeline into the nuclear power jobs. Some start off as I&C techs (instrumentation and controls) or RP techs (Radiation Protection or Health Physics). If you're already going to school, getting a technical engineering degree is another route in. With a mechanical or electrical engineering degree, you start out at a plant in engineering, then apply to go to licensed operator class after a couple of years.
@@lecturesandlearningchannel6605 even in Chernobyl was 2 different types of AZ. Fisrt it was button, it was demanded to keep pressed until control rods are fully inserted. Later version was a switch. Just set to SCRAM position and don't need to take care about it.
A lot of colleges have a continuing technical education program. If the college is near a nuclear power plant, then they likely have a nuclear technology program.
Nearly all the american control rooms were build in the 70s, so this is what they all look like. They've received some updates here and there like digital feedwater, digital turbine control, etc. But, until we build something new, this is what they look like.
Why do Americans always pronounce turbine "turbin"? There's an E at the end of turbine. It's bine - not bin. A turbin is what a sikh wears. No it's not tomato tomahto. It's a flat phonetic error
