The Rod Control System Initial Training Course will prepare the successful student to maintain the Rod Control System in accordance with plant procedures and vendor technical manual using all appropriate Human Performance tools.  This course is intended for I&C technicians and system engineers.  No previous experience with the Rod Control System is necessary, although some background in electronics may be helpful. 

Consistent with the Nuclearning® Educational Model, the Rod Control System Initial Training Course incorporates numerous student-centered learning activities to help the student learn and remember the concepts being studied. This approach puts the student at the center of the learning process making him an active participant in all learning activities. Specifically, the course incorporates instructor facilitated discussions, videos, classroom exercises, equipment demonstrations, group work exercises, signal tracing, and hands-on troubleshooting.  Many actual plant problems are used to provide experience in troubleshooting common system failures. Rod Control troubleshooting flow charts are used to assist students with the troubleshooting exercises.

It is very difficult, in operating plants, to find opportunities to train on actual plant equipment. The Rod Control System Initial Training Course addresses this problem by using hands-on training equipment that is very similar to that found in the actual plant. This equipment provides the student with an invaluable opportunity to work on energized equipment in a safe, learning-friendly environment. In this environment, students can see the effect of switch manipulations, practice procedures, and troubleshoot problems while utilizing all of their human performance skills. The net result is the creation of a learning environment that is as similar to the plant as possible.

The Rod Control System Initial Training Course is ten (10) days (80 hours) in length. Since hands-on learning is an integral part of the course, the maximum number of students should be held to ten (10) or fewer.

The following is a high level, typical daily outline of the Rod Control System Initial Training Course.  This daily schedule may vary due to student backgrounds and class pace.

Day 1

• Integrated Overview – The purpose of the Rod Control System in the nuclear power plant
• Reactor Core Overview – Control rod locations, rod banks
• Modes of operation – bank selector switch
• Introduction to troubleshooting
• Introduction to logic cabinet and power cabinet. Current orders and multiplexing
• Control Rod Drive Mechanism structure and operation

Day 2

• Rod speed and motion
• Rod position indication – actual versus demand position
• Power sources and power supplies
• Control board switches and annunciators
• Automatic rod control – process instrumentation
• Introduction to troubleshooting (con’t)

Day 3

• System Interfaces – DC Hold Cabinet, Pulse-to-Analog Converter
• Introduction to Nand Gate Logic
• Logic Cabinet card groups
• Details of current orders and multiplexing
• Logic Cabinet alarms
• Direction and speed signals
• Introduction to troubleshooting (con’t)

Day 4

• Supervisory signal flow
• Power Cabinet overview
• Power Cabinet Control Loops
• Introduction to troubleshooting (con’t)

Day 5

• Signal Processing Card
• Multiplexing Error Detector Card
• Failure Detector and Alarm Cards
• Multiplexing and Current Order signal flow final exercise
• Introduction to troubleshooting (con’t)

Day 6 - 8

• Rod Control System Troubleshooting
• Use of Troubleshooting Flow Charts

Day 9 and 10

• Written exam review
• Written exam* - A written examination will be used to test each student’s understanding of the system. The examination questions are based on the learning objectives used in the course.
• Performance Evaluation** - Performance evaluations will also be conducted to assess the students’ capability to perform hands-on testing and troubleshooting.

Score 80% or greater on a written exam and satisfactory completion of a performance evaluation.

The Rod Control System Initial Training Course is an IACET accredited course.  All students who successfully complete this training program will receive 6.8 continuing education units (CEUs). Any change in content, contact hours or evaluation methods may affect accreditation.  Although Westinghouse does not grant a Rod Control qualification to utility personnel for this training, many utilities, at their discretion, use successful completion of this course to grant a qualification.