Simulation case study: An analysis of reactor defuelling lead time in a power plant

Simulation has been used for many years to increase understanding of a process and enable that process to be optimised. In this case study simulation is used to achieve efficient defuelling of an atomic power station at the end of its working life, within a specified timescale, and ensure a resource smooth project. Working to a tight deadline, a number of operations must be undertaken on a reactor of unique design. The simulation optimises the performance of a discrete series of operations. This paper discusses the necessity for checking the consistency of the data used in the model, before reporting the model as realistic Additionally, the validity of the simulation results are checked using cusum techniques. Through the simulation, it has been shown that the timescale for defuelling this reactor can be reduced from the initial estimate of 24 months to I I months.