L3 MAPPS: Simulating Better, Safer Nuclear Power Plants

With Asia being the fastest growing region for nuclear power plants, with quite a few expected to become operational in the near future, this continent clearly dominates the global nuclear energy narrative. It is only logical for the region to favor nuclear energy given the enormous burden of the population it bears. But, the move toward this energy source also means that countries in this region have an uphill task of readying a vast workforce in the complex technology that comes along. Rising to the occasion, Montreal (Canada) headquartered firm, L3 MAPPS, seeks to assist organizations in training their workforce along the latest standards of handling critically complex operational needs of nuclear power plants (NPPs).

L3’s learning technologies are centered around two core principles: “seeing is understanding” and “interacting helps remember.” The firm acknowledges the fact that the younger generation will constitute the major share of NPP industry’s workforce. L3’s learning technologies are therefore specifically designed around this consideration to cater to “highly visual and experiential learners.”

The firm takes a highly methodical approach of initiating personnel to develop a comprehensive understanding of NPPs. Firstly, Learning Modules brief the incoming workforce on the construction and the functionality of the plant equipment. The user interface is fairly simple which removes any technological barriers. Then, the System Knowledge Modules elucidates the working and construction of complete plant systems.

The modules are highly interactive, allowing trainees to truly understand plant equipment and monitor the real-time responses from plant systems. Lastly, Learning Simulators assist instructors in teaching and help the new workforce to gain knowledge on major plant transients, associated power plant systems, and their behavior. These technologies provide recruits a practical route to understanding the complex phenomena taking place in nuclear power plants by presenting an interactive and visual environment.

The main objective of the training technique is to ensure that operators can run the power plant reliably and safely. Consequently, an essential element of NPP workforce training is to make recruits familiar with realistic operating conditions. L3 MAPPS’ NPP operator training simulators allow instructors to create unfavorable conditions that an operator may potentially face in the future. This gives trainee operators the first-hand experience of managing power plants during normal, abnormal, and emergency conditions and practice accident-preventive and recovery measures. This capability underlines the added emphasis on accident analysis and preventive measures put forth by unlikely nuclear reactor events such as the Fukushima Daiichi accident that resulted from an earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The firm’s proven ability to incorporate severe accident simulation allows severe accident analysis like core damage assessment and radiological breach assessment.

Along with offering practical simulation solutions that aid the learning experience of trainees, L3 is very customer-centric in its approach. The firm’s product development process is based on a client feedback loop with significant investments made toward software innovation and enhancement.

With nearly four and a half decades of experience, L3 MAPPS is a pioneer in the simulation field. The firm’s emphasis on customer relations and its flexibility to address differing requirements of the nuclear power sector has been a key advantage over its peers. Moving ahead, L3 MAPPS aims to continue its market leadership through continued innovation to support the growing demand for nuclear energy.