Five members from South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STP) traveled from Bay City, Texas, U.S.A. to Japan to take part in Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) operator training for two weeks at BTC Niigata Center (July 24- August 4, 2008). The goal of the program was to provide trainees with an overview of the ABWR systems as well as an ABWR plant operation module.
The construction of two ABWR plants is planned on the current STP (<www.stpnoc.com>) site where STP currently operates Units 1 and 2. STP will operate the new Units 3 and 4 as well.
The recent training at BTC was carried out using BTC simulator No.5- an exact replication of unit No. 6 (ABWR) control room at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. (< http://www.btc.co.jp/e06_1.html>).
The recent training at BTC was carried out using BTC simulator No.5- an exact replication of unit No. 6 (ABWR) control room at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. (< http://www.btc.co.jp/e06_1.html>).
The 5 STP trainees, the first of their kind to train at BTC, are scheduled to be instructors at STP 3 and 4. Several possess abundant BWR nuclear power plant operation experience as well as experience as training instructors at other sites.
The training consisted of one week of ABWR systems overview in the classroom and one week of ABWR plant operation in the simulator, for a total of 80 hours of training.
The training consisted of one week of ABWR systems overview in the classroom and one week of ABWR plant operation in the simulator, for a total of 80 hours of training.
During the classroom sessions, instructors explained the overall plant control systems including the human-machine interface, which is one of the features of ABWR technology.Using their previous experience and knowledge of conventional BWR, many of the trainees were able to discuss in detail the differences in the design bases between conventional BWR plants and new ABWR plants.
The second week of training was spent in the No. 5 simulator learning about plant operation. Trainees were able to perform plant start-up, shutdown, and accident operations (event based and symptom based occurrences).They also experienced the various advantages of the ABWR control room, such as the advanced control panel design, which helps to reduce the load of the operator, and the information-sharing panel, which allows operators to easily understand the plant status.
Also during the second week, STP spent a half-day at the TEPCO Technical and Skill Training Center located at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. Here the power plant faculty are able to train on the handling of the fine motion control rod driving mechanism (FMCRD), nuclear reactor recirculation internal pump (RIP), and many other plant systems. All equipment mock-ups are just like the actual power plants. The mock-up of FMCRD at the visitor house next to the center showed the trainees how the internal mechanism actually moves. Everyone was impressed by what they were able to learn and observe during this part of the training course.
In order to fulfill the communication requirements for the ABWR Familiarization Program with STP, several steps were taken to prepare in advance. One example of this was upgrading the No. 5 simulator with English language features and announcements. Also, BTC instructors who were responsible for giving classroom lectures improved the quality of the instruction by repeatedly practicing lectures in English.
When training was finally completed, BTC instructors were pleased to receive acknowledgment from the STP trainees that it was a successful training session. Other comments that BTC received from the trainees will help to improve upon future training. Arrangements for the next group of STP trainees has already been made, so BTC will continue to make an effort to further improve our skill.