Virtual reality used to train nuclear staff

08 December 2021

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is using immersive virtual reality to help nuclear power plant operators train personnel for outage, operations and maintenance work ahead of the spring 2022 outage season. The Nuclear Virtual Reality Solution (VRS) at the company's Wilmington, North Carolina, headquarters is also being used to provide plant-specific technical training.

(Image: GEH)

The solution helps plant personnel train for operational scenarios encountered during maintenance and refuelling outages including vessel disassembly and reassembly, fuel movement and inspections, the company said.

"The Nuclear Virtual Reality Solution is a powerful tool for collaboration and advanced plant outage training," said John Mackleer, GEH senior vice president, Field Services. Virtual reality immersive rooms enable personnel to gain realistic, practical experience including training for scenarios that cannot be recreated in physical mock-ups or during plant power run cycles, he added.

The Nuclear VRS can replicate the layout of different plants, including boiling water reactors and pressurised water reactors, and fuel movement technologies. The technology also provides an immersive and interactive look at GEH's BWRX-300 small modular reactor, which has recently been chosen by Ontario Power Generation for deployment at its Darlington site in Canada.

"GEH is working to deploy a VR immersive room at its Canadian SMR headquarters in Ontario to enable stakeholders and others to see this technology up close through walkable simulations of plant design including the refuel floor and drywell," the company said.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News