Interlocks part of safety training at Wylfa

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 19, 2000

Staff from Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey now use equipment from safety specialist Fortress Interlocks as part of their annual safety training.

Staff from Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey now use equipment from safety specialist Fortress Interlocks as part of their annual safety training.

The interlocks, which were custom designed by Fortress, have been installed on the nuclear power station simulator at Oldbury, South Gloucestershire, where staff receive comprehensive training in all aspects of safe power station operation.

Owned and operated by BNFL Magnox Generation, the Oldbury training facility can be used to simulate a wide range of possible scenarios, from routine reactor operation to emergency situations which staff then have to resolve.

The simulated environment must be as close to the real control room as possible, to ensure that staff are entirely familiar with the equipment at the Wylfa power station.

Fortress therefore installed a bank of key switches similar to those at the Wylfa site, which were also supplied by Fortress, complete with a custom designed spring mechanism which mimics the feel of a real switch being operated.

The Fortress switches form part of the nuclear reactor protection mechanism, ensuring that operators follow the correct sequence of actions when powering up or shutting down the reactor.

For example, staff must ensure that reactor gas pressure and the gas circulation flow is correct before they can operate the key switch to power up the reactor.

The switches also prevent the power in the reactor from being driven too high or too low without the proper safety checks being conducted.

The equipment installed at the Oldbury training centre gives power station operators an essential opportunity to refresh their knowledge of the correct power-up and shut-down procedures at the Wylfa reactor.

BNFL Magnox Generation are in the process of improving the training facility with a third simulator, which will also make use of Fortress key switches to emulate a real nuclear power station control room.