L-3 MAPPS has signed an agreement with Eletrobrás Termonuclear – Eletronuclear of Brazil to upgrade its Angra 2 simulator at the Almirante Álvaro Alberto Nuclear Power Station. The project will commence in summer 2009 and will span approximately two years.
“L-3 MAPPS is pleased to be involved with the Angra 2 simulator,” said Michael Chatlani, vice president of marketing and sales for L-3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation. “We look forward to continuing our expansion in South America.”
The first phase of the project will see the simulator’s software rehosted to PC/Windows-based computers running L-3 MAPPS’ modern Orchid® simulation environment with advanced instructor station capabilities. The legacy models currently programmed in assembly language will be converted to C language. The aging master controller will be replaced, and L-3 MAPPS will implement a new master controller to establish I/O communications with the hard panels. As a second step, the primary system models will be replaced with higher fidelity models. L-3 MAPPS will supply its advanced neutronics model generated by Orchid Core Builder to replace the reactor core model, and use Orchid Modeling Environment to provide the nuclear steam supply system, containment, and HVAC models.
Angra 2, a Siemens-designed pressurized water reactor (PWR) with a net output of 1,350MW, was connected to the grid in 2000. It is located near the town of Angra dos Reis, roughly 200km south of Rio de Janeiro. The site also houses the Angra 1 unit, a 657MW PWR designed by Westinghouse. The completion of Angra 3, based on the same German technology as Angra 2, is also expected to proceed in the near future. The Angra 2 simulator is housed at Eletronuclear’s training center in Mambucaba (Municipality of Paraty).
Eletronuclear was established in 1997 for the purpose of operating and building nuclear power plants in Brazil. A subsidiary of Eletrobrás, Eletronuclear is a government-controlled company that accounts for the generation of approximately 3% of electric power consumed in Brazil; the balance of which is largely made up from hydro-electrical sources.
L-3 MAPPS, a division of the L-3 Marine & Power Systems group, has over 25 years of experience in pioneering technological advances in the marine automation field and over 35 years of experience in delivering high-fidelity power plant simulation to leading utilities worldwide. In addition, the company has more than three decades of expertise in supplying plant computer systems for Canadian heavy water reactors. L-3 MAPPS also provides targeted controls and simulation solutions to the space sector.