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| Fig. 1: 3D Render of a primary coolant system. [5] (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
The accessibility and development of technology is often accelerated by the introduction of new technologies. The nuclear power industry is no different. Like businesses in other industries, nuclear power plants are rapidly embracing virtual and augmented reality. These two technologies have been rapidly improving due to availability of powerful computer processors. While most commonly seen as an medium for consuming media, enterprise applications are becoming increasingly common. By leveraging this technology, nuclear power plants are able to more effectively train their employees more efficiently and effectively.
Virtual reality utilizes 3D modelling to create an interactive environment that users can be immersed in via headsets-controller hardware like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. These devices rely on computers with fast GPUs to run simulations that can be created rather quickly with 3D modelling software. At the time of writing, an entire VR ready package costs as little as $1100. The hardware is impressive and, though the resolution has a ways to go before it is close to real life, the environments and animations are convincing and responsive enough to create a high level of immersion. Augmented reality is similar, however it utilizes cameras and other sensors to show 3d models in the real world on a display. The key difference is that this type of technology can use a variety of hardware, including smart phones making it far more accessible and even less costly. The tradeoff is that these smaller devices are less powerful due to the lack of high end GPUs and power restraints.
Working at nuclear power plants requires significant training due to the potential for serious emergency incidents that may have a lasting impact on workers and those in nearby areas. These impacts acquire costs related to human health, food availability, loss of land and production, and mitigation actions. According to a macro analysis of the overall costs of nuclear accidents since 1975 the range of damages are worth anywhere from 14 to 8302 billion euros (15.8 -9377 billion USD). [1] This is a significant amount of damages, and these cost assessments make it quite apparent that there is a lot on the line when it comes to preventing or properly addressing incidents in nuclear power plants. Additionally, a report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, before the rise of these mixed reality approaches, found that in 26 events that ended in fuel damage, 81 percent of the incidents were due to human error, and a primary factor was the manner in which they were trained. [2] Traditional training consists of primarily Computer Based Training (CBT) and limited pre-job, on-site training. This means that the training employees receive and the severity of certain situations is a bit abstract. With the advent of virtual and augmented reality comes the ability to create, simulate, and be immersed in any environment including a nuclear power plant. The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP) is funding VR training programs for refueling the reactor and maintenance because the skills and behaviours learned in training, must transfer to the actual work. [3] This is where VR really comes in handy as a training device. The fact that the exact work environment and situation can be represented as a virtual entity has a few massive benefits. The first is reproducibility and safety. Simulations of dangerous environments can be run as many times as needed until the employee is able to successfully accomplish goals like refuelling without ever being exposed to harmful radiation. From a financial standpoint this approach to training is very effective because training sessions can be run back to back with no downtime for no extra cost. While there is little public data on how much money has been saved through implementing these VR training programs, the continued investment and rapid adoption of the technology by power plants and government agencies such as the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has invested in 5 VR projects at LNPP indicate the acknowledgement that this technology positively impacts learning for a cost that pales in comparison to the billions of dollars that are on the line in the event of an emergency. [1,3] It would seem that the increases in learning seen in other industries is driving adoption of VR in the nuclear industry. For instance, studies conducted with military students pitted lecture-based teaching methods, which saw 11% improvement in learning material, versus VR-based teaching methods, which saw 26% improvement. [4] This example is promising in regards to learning interactive tasks in an environment that reflects real-life and gives credence to applications in nuclear training. Thus, while the true impacts are still yet to be seen, the application of VR to training in nuclear power plants is being adopted rapidly due to its potential in boosting operator performance.
© Zen Simone. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] R. Bizet and F. Lévêque, "The Economic Assessment of the Cost of Nuclear Accidents," in Resilience: A New Paradigm of Nuclear Safety, ed. by J. Ahn, F. Guarnieri, and K. Furuta (Springer, 2017), p. 79.
[2] "Human Performance Improvement Handbook - Volume 1: Concepts and Principles, US Department of Energy, DOE-HDBK-1028-2009, June 2009.
[3] T. Johnsen and N.-K. Mark, "Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Nuclear Plant Lifecycle Perspective," in Progress of Nuclear Safety for Symbiosis and Sustainability, ed. by H. Yoshikawa and Z. Zhang (Springer, 2014).
[4] D. Allcoat and A. von Mühlenen, "Learning in Virtual Reality: Effects on Performance, Emotion and Engagement," Res. Learn. Technol. 26, 2140 (2018).
[5] J. Xing, D. Song, and Y. Wu, "HPR1000: Advanced Prssurized Water Reactor with Active and Passive Safety," Engineering 2, 79 (2016).
