Regulatory Guide 1.149

Nuclear Power Plant Simulators for Use in Operator Training

ML12305A245
Person / Time
Issue date:	04/30/1981
From:	Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, NRC Region 1
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References
Task RS 110-5 RG 1.149
Download: ML12305A245 (4)

4" U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION April 1981~REGULATORY GUIDE0' OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCHREGULATORY GUIDE 1.149(Task RS 110.5)NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SIMULATORS FOR USE IN OPERATOR TRAININGA. INTRODUCTIONAppendix A, "Requalification Programs for Licensed Oper-ators of Production and Utilization Facilities," to 10 CFRPart 55, "Operators' Licenses," permits use of simulators foroperator training.This regulatory guide describes a method acceptable tothe NRC staff for specifying the functional requirements ofa nuclear power plant simulator to be used for operatortraining.The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards hasbeen consulted concerning this guide and has concurred inthe regulatory position.B. DISCUSSIONThe need for improvements in operator training in the areasof response to abnormal and emergency situations was high-lighted as a result of the operator errors noted in NUREG-0585,"TMI-2 Lessons Learned Task Force Final Report."' Use ofthe actual plant for training operators to respond to accidentswould result in additional challenges to the plant's protectivefeatures and is therefore undesirable. Thus, the additionaltraining required to improve operator performance should beperformed on simulators. In order to maximize the effective-ness of this training, the simulator must be kept current withchanges in the reference plant and lessons learned fromoperating experience. Recommendations of instructors andoperator trainees for improving a simulator should be encour-aged. ANSI/ANS 3.5-1981, "Nuclear Power Plant Simulatorsfor. Use in Operator Training,"2 in conjunction with thisregulatory guide, provides guidance in these areas.The use of simulators for operator training, includingthe requirements which specify the similarity that mustICopies are available for public inspection or copying for a fee at theNRC Public Document Room, 1717 H Street NW., Washington, D.C.,or copies may be purchased for $2.50 directly from NRC by sendingcheck or money order payable to the Superintendent of Documents tothe Director, Division of Technical Information and Document Con-trol, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555.exist between a simulator and the facility that the operatorsare being trained to operate, is addressed in 10 CFR Part 55,"Operators' Licenses." This issue, the similarity that mustexist between a simulator and the facility that the operatorsare being trained to operate, is not addressed in the guide andshould not be confused with the guidance provided that speci-fies the similarity that should exist between a simulator andits reference plant.C. REGULATORY POSITIONThe requirements established by ANSI/ANS 3.5-1981,"Nuclear Power Plant Simulators for Use in Operator Train-ing," for specifying the functional capability of a simulatorand for comparing a simulator to its reference plant areacceptable to the NRC staff, subject to the following:1. The standard identifies at the point of reference(Section 1.1, "Background Data") other documents to beincluded as part of the standard. The applicability of thesedocuments should be determined by referring to the latestrevision of the following regulatory guides and the versionof the standard the guide endorses:ANS Standard23.13.2Regulatory Guide1.81.332. Section 3.1.2, "Plant Malfunctions," lists the abnormaland emergency conditions that must be performed by thesimulator if applicable to the reference plant. A simulatorshould also be able to perform diesel generator failure.3. Appendix A, "Procedure for Documenting SimulatorPerformance," to the standard should be considered an*integral part of the standard.4. The simulator performance test discussed in Sec-tion 5.4, "Simulator Performance Testing," of the standard2Copies may be obtained from the American Nuclear Society,555 North Kensington Avenue, LaGrange Park, Illinois 60525.USNRC REGULATORY GUIDESRegulatory Guides are issued to describe and make available to thepublic methods acceptable to the NRC staff of implementingspecific parts of the Commission's regulations, to delineate tech-nidues used by the staff in evaluating specific problems or postu-lated accidents or to provide guidance to applicants. RegulatoryGuides are not substitutes for regulations, and compliance withthem is not required. Methods and solutions different from those setout in the guides will be acceptable if they provide a basis for thefindings requisite to the issuance or continuance of a permit orlicense by the Commission.This guide was issued after consideration of comments received fromthe public. Comments and suggestions for improvements in theseguides are encouraged at all times, and guides will be revised, as.appropriate, to accommodate comments and to reflect new informa-tion or experience.Comments should be sent to the Secretary of the Commission,U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555,Attention: Docketing and Service Branch.The guides are issued in the following ten broad divisions:1. Power Reactors 6. Products2. Research and Test Reactors 7. Transportation3. Fuels and Materials Facilities 8. Occupational Health4. Environmental and Siting 9. Antitrust and Financial Review5. Materials and Plant Protection 10. GeneralCopies of issued guides may be purchased at the current GovernmentPrinting Office price. A subscription service for future guides in spe-cific divisions is available through the Government Printing Office.Information on the subscription service and GPO prices maybe obtained by writing the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,Washington, D.C. 20555, Attention: Publications Sales Manage should include as a minimum all the provisions of Appen-dix.A to the standard.5. Sections 2.1, 2.2. and 2.3 of Appendix A to. thestandard require documentation of equipment lineup aspart of the simulator data base for steady state operatingconditions, transient operating conditions, and significantplant-occurring events. Equipment lineup documentationneed only include equipment that may have an observabl'e'effect on the expected plant response being considered.6. Item 2 of Section 3.2, "Abnormal Operations," ofAppendix A to the standard should be taken to mean thatalthough Section 3.1.2 of the stafidard requires that aminimum of 75 malfunctions be simulated, each simulatorwill most likely be capable of simulating more than theminimum; therefore, every malfunction that can be intro&duced into the simulator by the instructor should be tested.7. The terms "transients," "abnormal conditions,""abnormal operations," and "abnormal evolutions" used inthe standard should be considered equivalent to "anticipatedoperational occurrences."D. IMPLEMENTATIONThe purpose of this section is to provide informationto applicants regarding the NRC staff's plans for using thisregulatory guide. Except in those cases in which an applicantproposes an acceptable alternative method, the methoddescribed in this guide will be used in the evaluation of allsimulators placed in operation after August 1, 1984, that areused for training nuclear powerjplant 6operators and otherswhose. duties require an- operator's or senior operat6r's-Aicense. In addition, all simulators currently in use or placedin use prior to August 1, 1984, for training nuclear power,plant operators and others whose duties require an operator'sor senior operator's license will be evaluated in accordancewith the following schedule:I. The requirements of Section 1, "Simulator Informa-tion," of Appendix A to the standard should be completeby August 1, 1982, or by the time the simulator is placed inoperation for training, whichever is later.2. The requirements of Section 2, "Simulator Data Base,"of Appendix A to the standard should be complete byAugust 1, 1982, or by the time the simulator is placed inoperation for training, whichever is later.3. The tests discussed in Section 3, "Simulator Tests,"of Appendix A to the standard shouldbe conducted and theinitial documentation should be complete by August 1, 1983,or by the time the simulator is placed in operation for training,whichever is later.4. Deviation from the data base should be corrected andthe simulator should be in full compliance with the require-ments of ANSI/ANS 3.5-1981 as modified by this guide byAugust 1, 1984, or by the time the simulator is placed inoperation for training, whichever is later..1.149-2 VALUE/IMPACT STATEMENT1. ACTION1.1 DescriptionPrior to issuing an operator's license to an applicant, theCommission regulations require that evidence be shown thatthe applicant has learned to operate the controls in a compe-tent and safe manner. In accordance with ANSI/ANS 3.1-1978,"Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear PowerPlants," and Regulatory Guide 1.8, "Personnel Selection andTraining,"* reactor simulators may be used to partiallyfulfill this requirement. In addition, Appendix A to 10 CFRPart 55 describes the use of simulators for requalificationprograms, and NUREG-0094, "NRC Operator LicensingGuide,"*

• describes the use of simulators for initial licensing.This action provides guidance on the acceptable character-istics of reactor simulators used for operator training asdescribed in the above references.1.2 Need for Action*The need for improvements in operator training in the areasof response to abnormal and emergency situations was high-lighted as a result of the operator errors noted in NUREG&0585,"TMI-2 Lessons Learned Task Force Final Report." Use ofthe actual plant for training operators to respond to accidentswould result in additional challenges to the plant's protectivefeatures and is therefore undesirable. Thus, additional train-ing required to impr6ve, operator performance should beperformed on simulators. A recommendation to requiresimulator training for initial and requalification training wasmade to the Commission and accepted. The simulators usedfor current training and proposed future training shouldhave characteristics that allow the objective of training theoperator to operate the controls in a competent and safemanner to be met. The action discussed in this value/impactstatement is e.xpected to ensure that the objective statedabove will be met.1.3 Value/Impact of Action1.3,1 NRCSection 5 of ANSI/ANS 3.1-1978 (endorsed by Regula-tory Guide 1.8) "Selection and Training of Nuclear PowerPlant Personnel" uses the adjectives "suitable" (Paragraph5.2.1) or "appropriate" (Paragraphs 5.2.4 and 5.5.1.2.2)when describing reactor simulators used for training person-nel. The value of this action to the NRC is the availabilityof guidance on what is a "suitable" or "appropriate"reactor simulator against which to review licensee trainingprograms for adequacy. The impact of this action on theNRC will be that of the time spent in developing theguidance, reviewing the licensees' proposals to comply withthe guide, and verifying implementation of the proposals.1.3.2 Other Government AgenciesThis action should not impact other government agencies,.unless the government agency is an applicant, such as TVA.1.3.3 Industry,The result of this action is expected to be the additionof required functions to simulators that may now be in usefor specific nuclear, power plants. The impact on industrywill, likely be that of increased cost as more complexsimulators are. required. An alternative to simulators is theuse of the actual power plant for training. This use resultsin lost revenue because the power plant is not available toproduce electrical power and also results in additionalchallenges to the plant protection systems. The value of theaction to industry should be (1) more efficient operation ofthe power plant by better trained operators that wouldresult in a cost savings when the power plant is put on linein an expeditious manner and (2) a reduction in operatorerrors that might cause plant downtime or equipmentdamage. The value is based on using simulators that moreaccurately reflect the power plant they represent and thatsimulate additional accidents, transients, and evolutions in amore complete manner than can safely be performed on anactual plant.1.3.4 PublicThe value to the public will be that better trainedoperators should reduce the possibility of improper operationof nuclear power plant equipment or systems that couldendanger public health and safety. The impact will be thatof slightly higher electrical rates caused by higher costs asexplained in Item 1.3.3.1.4 Decision on ActionSecond proposed Revision 2 to Regulatory Guide 1.8 entitled"Personnel Qualification and Training" was issued for commentin September 1980.Copies are available for public inspection or copying for a feeat the NRC Public Document Room, 1717 H Street NW., Washington,D.C., or copies may be purchased for $4.00 directly from NRC bysending check or money order payable to the Superintendent ofDocuments to the Director, Division of Technical Information andDocument Control, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washing-ton, D.C. 20555.This guide is being issued to .provide recommendationsacceptable to the NRC staff on acceptable characteristics ofnuclear power plant simulators for use in operator training.2. TECHNICAL APPROACHThe decision to use simulators for training of operatorshas been made by the Commission.1.149-3 3. PROCEDURAL APPROACH3.1 Procedural Alternatives4. STATUTORY CONSIDERATIONS4.1 NRC Authority1. Regulation2. Regulatory guide3. National standard, endorsed by a regulatory guide3.2 Value/Impact of Procedural AlternativesThe value of alternative 1, a regulation, is that it wouldhave the full force and authority of a law. The impact ofalternative 1 is that it would lack flexibility in implementa-tion. The value of alternative 2, a regulatory guide, is that itwould achieve the desired result with suitable flexibility forinnovation by licensees. The impact of alternative 2is thatit may not take full advantage of the work performed byindustry in the area the guide addresses, which may resultin a longer development period prior to issuing the guide.The value of alternative 3, a standard endorsed by a regu-latory guide, is that it would achieve the desired resultwhile taking advantage of the work performed by industryin its development of ANSI/ANS 3.5-1981, "Nuclear PowerPlant Simulators for Use in Operator Training." The impactof alternative 3 is that effort would have to be expended bythe NRC in preparing, reviewing, and issuing the regulatoryguide. It is estimated, however, that the effort spent on theaction would be greater if alternatives 1 or 2 were chosen.3.3 Decision on Procedural ApproachThe action has been accomplished by publishing aregulatory guide endorsing ANSI/ANS 3.5-1981, "NuclearPower Plant Simulators for Use in Operator Training."Authority for this guide is derived from the safetyrequirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended,and the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 through theCommission's regulations; in particular, 10 CFR Part 55applies.4.2 Need for NEPA AssessmentAn environmental impact statement is not required sincethis guide is not a major action that may significantly affectthe quality of the human environment.5. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER EXISTING OR PROPOSEDREGULATIONS OR POLICIESRegulatory Guide 1.8 and Appendix A to 10 CFR Part 55make reference to simulators used in the training programfor operators. In these documents, only general.statementsare made concerning the characteristics of acceptable simu-lators. This guide is consistent with existing and proposedrequirements and guidelines for simulators.6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONRegulatory Guide 1. 149, "Nuclear Power Plant Simulatorsfor Use in Operator Training," has been prepared. It endorses,with certain exceptions, ANSI/ANS 3.5-1981.((UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONWASHINGTON, D. C. 205551194060020CL I QPISIRLS NRC REGION ICFFICE Of INSPECILON & ENFORCER J BORES631 PARK AVENUEREGION IKING OF PRUSSIA PA 1940C1.149-4