First Domestic Development of Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Underwater Work Simulator

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials

Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Underwater Work Simulator. Photo by Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A remote virtual simulator for operator training in underwater laser and plasma cutting of reactor internal structures (RVI) necessary for nuclear power plant dismantling has been developed for the first time in Korea.

On the 10th, the research team led by Principal Researcher Seo Jeong at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced that they have virtualized the nuclear power plant remote dismantling system and developed a simulator that allows operators to perform simulated training and equipment operation of underwater laser and plasma cutting in an environment similar to actual dismantling work conditions.

The research team modeled the internal structures of Kori Unit 1, which has been permanently shut down and is scheduled for dismantling, and built a database based on underwater cutting environment simulation equipment and materials, underwater laser and plasma cutting experiments, and molten pool behavior numerical analysis results. They developed a remote cutting simulation algorithm for underwater robots based on dynamic analysis and virtualized radiological elements. By establishing an optimal dismantling process scenario considering the shape and radioactivity of the cut structures, they implemented a physical environment where actual underwater cutting is performed.

Existing domestic simulators were based on the design of the nuclear power plant dismantling environment and mainly implemented the operation of underwater cutting equipment during dismantling work graphically, which had limitations in reproducing the physical phenomena occurring during actual cutting. In contrast, the simulator developed by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials expresses the cut shapes generated during underwater cutting by robots and laser/plasma cutting, and simulates the actual physical phenomena considering virtualization of radiological elements, enabling remote training for nuclear power plant dismantling operators.

Principal Researcher Seo Jeong said, “Since the Busan Center of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials is located close to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, close cooperation with the Nuclear Power Plant Dismantling Research Institute is possible, which is expected to contribute to the establishment of a nuclear power plant dismantling simulation training facility,” and added, “This will lay the foundation for developing the world’s best remote dismantling system.”

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