Omaha Public Power District Selects Invensys Virtual Stimulation Technology to Verify Controls Upgrade at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station |
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Invensys Systems, Inc.
33 Commercial St.
Foxboro, MA, 02035
USA
Press release date: December 13, 2005
Innovative tuning approach will allow comprehensive off-line low-risk digital control system checkout prior to commissioning
FOXBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, USA - December 13, 2005 - Invensys Process Systems has been selected by Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) for advanced SimSci-Esscor (www.simsci-esscor.com) virtual stimulation technology using FSIM Plus software to fully verify and tune the OPPD Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station's upgraded Foxboro (www.foxboro.com) digital automation system. The contract also includes software and engineering services to bridge the controls simulation to Fort Calhoun's existing plant simulator.
Fort Calhoun Station, located eight miles north of Omaha, Nebraska, is a pressurized light water reactor facility with generating capacity of 492 megawatts. Operating safely since it was built in 1973, Fort Calhoun Station has received an extension of its operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). OPPD is in the process of upgrading the facility, including new steam generators, a new reactor vessel head and a new pressurizer to allow it to continue operating safely and efficiently until 2033.
The FSIM Plus simulator will be used to exactly model the upgraded I/A Series digital control systems at Fort Calhoun Station. Virtual stimulation technology uses the underlying digital controller source code, which is ported to a low-cost computer platform and combined with simulation functionality. This virtual controller communicates with operator workstations, exactly duplicating the control room experience in an off-line, low risk manner.
As an exact representation of the plant controls, the FSIM Plus virtual stimulation allows for the control algorithms to be tested in the simulator before installing the controls in the plant. This Invensys "test before install" strategy also eliminates subsequent forced outages caused by live control configuration error resolution, and can result in enormous savings to the plant.
By using SimSci-Esscor software bridge capabilities, the Invensys simulation solution allows the controls configuration and graphics files from the plant to be downloaded onto the Fort Calhoun Station's existing plant simulator as-is. It uses the same tools and operator interface as the plant, without imprecise translations, conversions, or other emulation. It will also allow Fort Calhoun Station operators to continuously maintain their plant simulator as controls are upgraded.
The bridge technology helps address such challenges as operator new-technology skills training, keeping existing emulators current with control system advances, and streamlining verification and tuning for the new controls.
The OPPD Fort Calhoun Station contract for simulation solutions follows an earlier control system modernization contract with Invensys for the latest I/A Series automation technology. The control system modernization will also use the latest Foxboro high availability, high speed mesh backbone technology for the Fort Calhoun plant data network.
About Omaha Public Power District
The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) (www.oppd.com) is one of the largest customer-owned electric utilities in the United States, serving more than 620,000 persons (approximately 36 percent of Nebraska's population) in 13 Nebraska counties. OPPD was organized as a self-supporting political subdivision of the State of Nebraska in 1946. Headquartered in Omaha, the company owns and operates its own generation, transmission and distribution facilities. OPPD generating plants, service centers, and customer service locations for its 300,000 accounts are strategically located throughout the service territory.
Invensys Process Systems in the nuclear power industry
Invensys Process Systems ( http://ips.invensys.com ), a business unit of Invensys plc, provides products, services and solutions that enable today's industrial process plants to monitor, manage and improve the performance of their production assets. In addition to its rapidly expanding Global Solutions group, Invensys Process Systems includes industry-leading brands such as Foxboro, Triconex, SimSci-Esscor, Wonderware, and Avantis, whose products help automate and optimize more than 100,000 plants across the world. These range from small hybrid and batch plants to the world's largest upstream projects, pipelines, refineries, gas plants, power plants, pulp and paper mills, petrochemical and other process plants.
For the nuclear power generation industry, Invensys combines systems, engineering, and support capabilities to provide a cost-effective, full-scope solution for plant life extensions. With nearly five decades of nuclear industry experience worldwide, an advanced process control system from Foxboro, 1E certified safety systems from Triconex, and sophisticated simulation tools from SimSci-Esscor, Invensys brings together the expertise and resources to provide the industry's only fully integrated instrumentation and digital control upgrade solution.
The Invensys Group (www.invensys.com) is made up of five businesses: Process Systems, APV, Eurotherm, Rail Systems and Controls. The Group is headquartered in London and is listed on the London Stock Exchange, with approximately 30,000 employees working in 60 countries.
Invensys, SimSci-Esscor, FSIM Plus, Foxboro, I/A Series, Triconex, Wonderware and Avantis and are trademarks of Invensys plc, its subsidiaries, or affiliates. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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