Case Study: NuScale Power advances nuclear control room design with GSE Solutions simulator

NuScale Simulator An Integral Part of Design Certification Application (DCA)

NuScale Power worked with GSE Solutions to validate the control room concept for its next-generation modular reactor design. The challenge was proving that a new operating and staffing philosophy could safely support up to 12 reactors from a single control room, while meeting regulatory expectations for operator staffing, human factors engineering, and training.

GSE Solutions implemented a high-fidelity, real-time simulator using RELAP5-3D, Studvik’s S3R reactor core model, and GSE’s JADE simulation toolset to model NuScale’s plant before it existed. The simulator became an engineering and HFE platform for testing control room layout, staffing, automation, alarms, procedures, and multi-module control, helping NuScale gain regulatory certainty, accelerate operator training development, and create a demonstration tool for regulators and customers; NuScale also said the simulator investment was only a small fraction of DCA development costs.

NuScale Power

Dustin Greenwood

(Acting) Vice President, Operations & Plant Services