July - September 2001 Contents Highlight

Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary

Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia

Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities

Lithuania

Ignalina training team meets with U.S. computer-based-training specialists

A three-person team of training specialists from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant traveled to the United States in July to participate in a workshop on computer-based training (CBT). During the trip, the Ignalina personnel met with training and technical specialists at Sonalysts Inc. in Waterford, Connecticut, and with the INSP project manager and training specialists at PNNL in Richland, Washington. The training and technical specialists from Sonalysts and PNNL presented information on existing CBT technologies and capabilities, and the PNNL project manager led discussions regarding plans for expansion of CBT capabilities at the Ignalina facility. Familiarizing Ignalina personnel with U.S. CBT technology used in a variety of applications is expected to further aid Ignalina in this area. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650; Don Draper, PNNL, 509-372-4079)

Ignalina SPDS passes factory acceptance tests

In mid-July, a technical specialist from PNNL visited the offices of Western Services Corp. in Visaginas, Lithuania, to observe the factory acceptance tests of the Safety Parameter Display System (SPDS) developed for the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Staff from Western Services Corp. conducted 36 test procedures over 5 days, and personnel from the Ignalina Operations and Nuclear Safety departments witnessed the tests. Representatives from Russia's Kurchatov Institute conducted tests associated with the Reactor Subcriticality Calculation and the 3-D Neutron Physical Calculation.

On August 17, a senior management meeting was held to discuss the results of the factory acceptance tests. There were no challenges to the satisfactory completion of the tests; however, it was observed that the SPDS did add a significant loading on the central processor of the information computer system that drives the SPDS. An additional central processor will be purchased to eliminate that loading. This action was anticipated in the initial funding estimates for this project, so no additional funding will be necessary. (Grigory Trosman, NNSA, 301-903-3581; Ron Wright, PNNL, 509-372-4076)