The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Bulgaria, which powers a third of the country’s energy grid, recently became the latest user of Westinghouse’s BEACON™ Core Monitoring System, a world class technology product that has been utilized for over 30 years to support safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants.
The BEACON system helps station reactor engineers and reactor operators perform fast surveillance and predictive calculations, shortens the time required to return to full power following refueling, can extend the life of the in-core nuclear instrumentation and their mechanical systems, and creates additional operating margin relative to safety limits; all of which promote continuous, full power operation, thereby maximizing emissions-free electricity generation.
More than 50 commercial units in 11 countries and five continents now use the BEACON system. Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant Plc. requested unique, advanced capabilities be included in the BEACON System as an integral part of their strategic nuclear fuel diversification program. The successful implementation of the upgraded BEACON System at Kozloduy NPP added to the historic achievement of installing 43 Westinghouse RWFA VVER-1000 fuel assemblies for the first time at the Kozloduy NPP Unit 5 in May 2024.
The BEACON system delivered for Kozloduy NPP Unit 5 was a custom BEACON-TSM+ version. Beyond technical specification monitoring (TSM), which ensures the reactor can be operated with maximum flexibility while maintaining power at safe and evenly distributed levels across the fuel array, TSM+ capabilities include departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) monitoring. This feature was important to the customer because it enables live monitoring of the margin available to maintain satisfactory heat transfer capability of the fuel by the cooling water. A global Westinghouse team from the U.S., Sweden, and Bulgaria worked rapidly to meet the urgent energy needs of the customer and deliver this complex, first-of-a-kind BEACON software solution. Following prototype installation in April 2023, the fully validated and configured TSM+ version was delivered to support Kozloduy NPP Unit 5 Cycle 31 operation concurrent with the initial loading of Westinghouse VVER-1000 RWFA fuel. BEACON TSM+ was successfully commissioned on June 4, 2024, and will be utilized to support the safe and efficient management of future Kozloduy NPP Unit 5 operations.
Aziz Dag, Senior VP of Global BWR & VVER Fuel Business, said: “As part of our long term relationship with Kozloduy NPP, we are very happy to see that the implementation of BEACON Core Monitoring System has helped increase the plant’s safety and operational efficiency, with the main goal of achieving the nuclear fuel diversification in Bulgaria.”
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