An Enhanced Nuclear Engineering Simulator

Engineering Simulation is a sophisticated multi-purpose technology allowing the users of simulators to run various engineering activities thanks to the possibility of representing the behavior of the plant under normal and adverse conditions, and of modifying the simulated plant architecture and components, adjust a huge set of parameters, test alternative operational solutions. Engineering Simulators have been developed worldwide for performing plant design, integrated safety analysis, verification and validation of systems and components and human factors studies. These tools also play a role in developing and maintaining key nuclear skills, as knowledge repositories for training at various levels of expertise. The ‘ENES’ Strategic Project (proposed by ENEA within NUGENIA framework) aims at designing in detail the most urgent improvements to the current generation of Engineering Simulators for Gen II – Gen III NPPs in order to define the key characteristics of a new generation of Enhanced Simulators that can respond adequately to the various issues raised by the Fukushima accident and to other key targets of the international agenda for nuclear plants safety.