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L-3 MAPPS Awarded Embalse Full Scope Simulator Project

"Last year, L-3 MAPPS secured a key simulator upgrade project in Brazil and is pleased to follow it up with a full scope simulator win in Argentina," said Michael Chatlani, vice president of marketing and sales for L-3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation. "As nuclear power generation continues to develop in South America, these projects provide L-3 MAPPS with an important foothold in the region."

"With L-3 MAPPS’ global leadership in nuclear power plant simulation and demonstrated know-how with CANDU* plants, L-3 MAPPS is the best choice for NA-SA," said Rubén Semmoloni, Embalse NPP life extension project director, NA-SA. "For years, we have fulfilled our training needs without a plant-specific simulator, and we now look forward to having our own state-of-the-art full scope simulator, which we see as a central part of our personnel training and safety culture during the next 25 years of operation after the fulfillment of the life extension project."

The Embalse full scope simulator will use L-3’s cutting-edge graphical simulation PC/Windows-based tools for the plant models and instructor station. All of the plant systems will be simulated, including the reactor, nuclear steam supply systems, balance of plant systems, electrical systems and I&C systems. The majority of the simulator’s models will be developed, validated and maintained in L-3’s Orchid® simulation environment. The plant computer systems, known as Digital Control Computers (DCCs), will be represented with a fully emulated dual DCC that will be integrated in the full scope simulator. The simulator will be equipped with full replica control room panels.

The Embalse nuclear power station is one of two operational nuclear power plants in Argentina. It is located on the southern shore of a reservoir on the Rio Tercero, near the city of Embalse in Córdoba Province, 110km southwest of Córdoba City. The single unit at Embalse is a CANDU pressurized heavy water reactor with a net output of 600MWe, which went into commercial operation on 20 January 1984. Embalse also produces the cobalt-60 radioisotope, which is used for cancer therapy and industrial applications. With the current plant refurbishment plans, the plant’s life is expected to be extended for another 25 years.