L-3 MAPPS has announced today that it has signed a contract with Candu Energy Inc to supply an engineering simulator for its Enhanced CANDU 6® (EC6®) power plant development project.

The simulator will be used at Candu Energy’s EC6 mockup facility to develop and validate the main control room (MCR) and to design and test programmable electronic systems (PES) and human-system interfaces.

"Over the years, L-3’s robust Orchid® technology and our high-fidelity plant models have consistently proven to be valuable to plant operators and OEMs, as well as engineering and research organisations," said Michael Chatlani, vice-president of marketing and sales for L-3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation. "We are pleased to have this important opportunity to support Candu Energy as it prepares to launch EC6."

L-3 MAPPS will provide Candu Energy with a full real-time simulation of a CANDU 6 plant operating on a PC/Windows platform powered by the industry-leading Orchid simulation environment. The simulator will be equipped with interactive soft panels representing the MCR and a dual Digital Control Computer (DCC) emulation. The interactive soft panels will be enabled on multiple video display units to represent the EC6 MCR.

The emulated DCC will be used as a baseline to iteratively change out control programmes and logic with new PES control software modeled and verified in L-3’s Orchid Modelling Environment. In addition, L-3 MAPPS will provide training and support to ensure that all of Candu Energy’s objectives are met.

Candu Energy Inc is a leading full-service nuclear technology company providing nuclear power reactors and nuclear products and services to customers worldwide. The company designs and delivers state-of-the-art CANDU reactors, carries out life extension projects, provides plant life management programs and tools, and offers operation and maintenance services for existing nuclear power stations. CANDU reactors supply approximately 50% of Ontario’s electricity and 16%of Canada’s overall electricity requirements. Internationally, they are an important component of clean air energy programs on four continents, with more than 22,000MW of installed capacity. There are 47 CANDU-type nuclear reactors operating around the world, from Canada to China.

L-3 MAPPS, a division of L-3 Marine & Power Systems, has more than 30 years’ experience in pioneering technological advances in the marine automation field and over 40 years of experience in delivering high-fidelity power plant simulation to leading utilities worldwide. In addition, the company has more than four decades of expertise in supplying plant computer systems for Canadian heavy water reactors.