Workforce Development

Nuclear Power Plant Simulator Lab

NPRE has a nuclear power plant simulator lab equipped with three Curtiss-Wright glass top simulators. The simulators are highly detailed implementations of Generic Pressurized Light Water Reactor (GPWR) and Generic Boiling Water Reactor (GBWR) plants complete with reactor core models, primary coolant loops, balance of plant, and auxiliary systems models.

The simulators provide live system mimics and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) similar to their industrial analogs for visualizing what is happening in each of the plant systems in real time, as well as emulated control switch panels for interacting with the various systems. They also offer realistic digital Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) such as control system programs which demonstrate how industrial control system interfaces may be implemented at commercial power plants.

Students can interact in real time with these simulators to learn about the interconnected plant systems and get hands-on experience with understanding power plant operations.