<p>To ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants, employees must complete nuclear power plant-related safety training and assessment. Moreover, solid theoretical knowledge and rich practical experience are also required. According to statistics, college students who majored in nuclear engineering in China cannot deeply participate in nuclear power plant work during the school period. So they do not have a deep understanding of the theoretical concepts related to nuclear power systems in class. To carry out research and teaching work on Sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), the Department of Engineering Physics at Tsinghua University have developed ECFR600 with Neoswise Science &amp; Technology Co. Ltd. ECFR600 is the dynamic process model software of the SFR nuclear power plant which is based on VPOWER platform. VPOWER is a new fully integrated simulation support platform, which adopts a graphical configuration modeling interface and mathematical modeling technology. With VPOWER's support for thermal systems and instrument control systems, ECFR600 software can simulate a series of working modes of 600 MW pool-type SFR, including proper operation conditions and accident conditions. It is very helpful to promote students to further understand the operation of nuclear power plants and train future advanced reactor nuclear power plant employees. Tsinghua University has launched experimental courses for the commissioned students, who will work for the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) after graduation. More than 100 numbers have taken part in the courses. Students can operate the ECFR600 software and experience how to operate a nuclear power plant with the normal operating conditions or accident conditions of the SFR nuclear power plant. By inserting accidents, students checked the software's automatic alarm information and troubleshot. Meanwhile, students analyzed the changes in the curves of various parameters of the nuclear power plant, such as core thermal power and coolant flow rate. Finally, students wrote about their learning gains. The paper analyzed the teaching effect and student feedback on the simulation system training. The cultivation is beneficial for students to establish a systematic concept of SFR, and have a deeper understanding of the main equipment parameters of nuclear power plants. According to statistics, more than 90% of the commissioned students not only have clearer career development plans but also speed up work adaptation. Furthermore, the future improvement direction of ECFR600 software is also discussed, which includes the improvement measures of human-computer interaction and system design.</p>

A Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Simulation System and its Application In Teaching Research Based on VPOWER Platform

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ICONE/ICONE28/volume/85246

2021 28th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE28)

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