Integrated Full-Scope Simulator Practical and Post-Shift Critique

Integrated Full-Scope Simulator Practical and Post-Shift Critique

What This Lesson Asks of You

This is the capstone lab for the simulator training course. You will work as a full crew through a condensed, three-hour exercise that covers the same ground a real eight-hour operating shift must cover: a planned power maneuver, entry into an Abnormal Operating Procedure (AOP), and initiation of an Emergency Operating Procedure (EOP). Nothing about the timing of injected events is told to you in advance. When the shift is over, you write a complete shift log and then defend every significant decision in a structured post-shift critique. That sequence—act, document, explain—mirrors what is expected of every qualified operator on a licensed nuclear plant.

Roles and Crew Coordination

A licensed nuclear plant shift is built around clearly defined roles. For this exercise you rotate through three:

• Reactor Operator (RO): Licensed position responsible for manipulating the reactor controls and monitoring neutron flux, coolant temperature, pressure, and reactor protective system status.
• Non-Licensed Operator (NLO): Works in the field; operates valves, reads local gauges, places equipment in and out of service under direction of the RO and Shift Supervisor.
• Shift Supervisor (SS): Holds overall command authority for the shift; approves procedure entry conditions, authorizes power maneuvers, and declares emergency classifications.

Each role carries distinct responsibilities. The SS does not reach across to manipulate controls; the RO does not abandon the board to perform field tasks. Maintaining role discipline during the simulator exercise is not a formality—it trains the communication and authority gradient that prevents errors on an operating unit.

The Three Phases of the Simulated Shift

Phase 1 – Normal Power Maneuver. The instructor will direct a power reduction using the plant's Normal Operating Procedure (NOP). The RO monitors axial flux distribution, control rod position limits, and reactor coolant system (RCS) temperature as power is changed. The NLO verifies supporting equipment status in the field. The SS approves each step. All parameter readings and times are logged continuously.

Phase 2 – AOP Activation. At an unannounced point, the instructor injects a plant abnormality—for example, a loss of a feedwater pump, a steam generator tube leak indicator, or a dropped control rod signal. The crew must recognize the entry condition for the applicable AOP, enter it promptly, and execute steps in sequence without skipping. Proper AOP use means: verify entry conditions are met before entry, execute each action step exactly as written, and do not take action outside the procedure without SS authorization. If a step cannot be performed as written, the SS uses the plant's procedure deviation process.

Phase 3 – EOP Initiation. A second, more serious injection causes an EOP entry—for example, indication of inadequate core cooling or a safety injection actuation. EOPs are symptom-based rather than event-based on most US plants: you enter based on what you observe (high containment pressure, low RCS pressure, loss of subcooling margin), not on what you think happened. The critical safety functions your EOP is designed to protect include reactivity control, RCS inventory and pressure, core heat removal, containment integrity, and electrical power availability. During EOP execution, the SS maintains situational awareness, the RO executes procedure steps, and the NLO performs field verifications and local operations. Every action and parameter reading must be logged in real time.

Shift-Log Requirements

The shift log is a legal plant record. For this exercise it must contain:

• Continuous parameter trend entries at the frequency specified in the simulated plant's administrative procedure.
• A narrative entry for every significant evolution: power maneuver start/end, AOP entry with procedure number and entry condition, all equipment actuations, EOP entry and critical safety function status at each evaluation point.
• Accurate times drawn from the simulator clock—times that do not match the simulator recording will fail the completeness rubric.
• Shift-turnover summary listing plant status, outstanding action items, and equipment out of service.

Write the log as events happen. Reconstructing a log from memory after the exercise produces inaccurate times and missed entries.

Post-Shift Critique

The critique is an industry-standard learning tool. The instructor plays back the simulator recording and pauses at each decision point. You must answer three questions for every challenged action:

1. Which procedure step authorized or required this action?

2. Which parameter were you monitoring, and what was its value?

3. Which safety function were you protecting?

If you cannot answer all three, the action is marked unsatisfactory regardless of whether the plant remained safe. This is not a trick—it enforces the discipline that licensed operators must demonstrate on every NRC-observed evaluation.

Safety Reminders for Simulator Work

The simulator is not a real plant, but the habits you form here transfer directly. Maintain the following practices:

• Procedure adherence: Never simulate a shortcut. If you would not skip a step on the real plant, do not skip it here.
• Three-way communication: All directives between SS, RO, and NLO use initiate–repeat–acknowledge. If the repeat is wrong, the sender corrects it before the action is taken.
• Self-checking (STAR): Stop, Think, Act, Review before any control manipulation, even in a simulator.
• Peer checking: When another crew member is about to manipulate a control, the person nearest verifies the correct component and direction before the action.
• No bypassing alarms without procedure basis: Acknowledge alarms by procedure; do not silence and ignore.

Grading Summary

You pass this lesson when your shift log meets 80% of the completeness rubric criteria with accurate times and factually consistent narratives, your crew evaluation checklist shows no missed critical tasks in the AOP or EOP phases, and your verbal defense in the critique correctly cites procedure basis for every challenged decision.