The classroom analysis simulator: a training and research tool for nuclear power plant operations

This work describes the design, development and implementation of a working prototype of a classroom analysis simulator (CAS) of nuclear processes. CAS is a multi-computer system with a sophisticated advanced graphical human-machine interface. By direct manipulation of virtual instrumentation over touch sensitive screens, the user has full dominion of processes under normal, abnormal, transients and severe accidents modalities. The display system includes representation of the plant processes and components as animated models, mimics, and pictorials that are being designed to support operator skill, rule, and knowledge based behavior. The ulterior objective is to provide the proper context and adequate graphical content to support the intended task that must take place in a complex changing dynamic environment such as a nuclear power plant. Additionally, CAS conforms a very valuable analytical and research tool intended to deal with human limitations and to explore and test aspects that exploit human capabilities.