Newsletter Nuclear Edition

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EMTP^® for Nuclear Application

EDF uses EMTP^® for Nuclear Studies

EDF uses extensively EMTP^® for studies related to nuclear electrical power engineering and research. The range of these studies is quite large and covers applications as different as the energizing of ancillary loads or the the protection of the main transformer of nuclear plants against lightning. The use in France of a software program for applications related to nuclear safety requires a qualification process of this program (this has been a legal obligation since 2012).

For this reason, EDF has to verify that the development of EMTP^® is compliant with quality standards, and has also to establish that the results provided by the program are adequate. This last aspect requires in particular a thorough validation of the program, which can be conducted for instance by comparing its results with measurements, or the results provided by another program already validated. Hence, for instance regarding lightning studies, the results of EMTP^® calculations have been compared with lab-measurements performed by EDF R.D.
» Here's an example of an usage of EMTP for Nuclear Power Plant Studies by EDF.

Authors :
• Alain Xémard, EDF Research and Developpement
• Jean-Luc Chanelière , EDF Nuclear Division

Open Phase detection with EMTP^®

On January 30, 2012, Byron Nuclear Generating Station experienced a reactor trip due to a failed insulator near the high voltage side of the reserve transformer. When the insulator failed, a section of busbar fell and shorted to ground on the transformer side, while the energized side remained open-circuited. Due to coupling between phases in the reserve transformer, the voltage on the low side did not drop below the threshold to detect that the source was inoperable. The NRC has designated the lack of ability to detect this condition as a design vulnerability, and it is one that is common across the majority of plants in the US. This presentation provides an overview of the extensive EMTP^® modeling work that Sargent and Lundy has done to analyze the open phase condition.

Authors :
• Dr. M. D. Urbina, Ph.D
• Dr. J. P. Oliver, Ph.D
• Dr. S. S. Shah, Ph.D
• Dr. J. B Wisniewski, Ph.D

» Here's another example of an open phase study realized with EMTP by UNC Charlotte