April 26, 2014 at 15:37

SKALA - ChNPP computer, history of creation

    imageToday marks the 28th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. A lot of articles have been written on this subject, many theories about the causes of the explosion have been put forward, many investigations and conclusions have been made. In this article I will try not to touch on the very topic of the explosion and the subsequent catastrophe, but I will talk about the history of the creation of the computer that regulated the station — the SCALA system. Who cares - welcome to cat.

    As we all know, a reactor is a device, although not too complicated, but requiring in its management to take into account many factors and a fairly quick response. Therefore, the introduction of a computer into the reactor control system was obvious. By the end of the 60s, the most promising computer in the USSR was the 24-bit semiconductor VNIIEM-3, developed in the enterprise of the same name. Strictly speaking, VNIIEM-3 was classified as a UVM - control computer, i.e. specialized computer designed to process a large number of analog signals and issue based on their analysis of the corresponding control signals. Under the guidance of Doctor of Technical Sciences B. M. Kagan, on the basis of this UVM, information and control systems were created at a chemical plant in Angarsk and at a metallurgical plant in Galati (Romania). A major role in the launch of these systems was played by V. N. Stepanov, I. A. Zhigunov, and I. S. Koltypin.

    For further use in the production of UVM “VNIIEM-3” underwent significant modernization, after which it became known as V-3M. This car was very successful in terms of both architecture and design. It used unified channels of information transfer, which made it easy to add new devices to the machine; developed system of commands for working with full words and half words; advanced interrupt system; multi-machine operation mode; error monitoring and correction in a four-port ferrite storage device. Big improvements were made in the design of the machine - for the first time in the country, instead of soldered mounting in panels, wrap- around installation was applied, printed circuit boards are used in the cards, a palladium connector with double contacting is proposed for the boards. In the V-3M computer, replaceable printed circuit boards were securely fixed in the panel and were well ventilated. An automatic change in supply voltage was used during maintenance work. All this provided great hardware reliability of the computer.

    The debut of the V-3M machine took place in the mid-60s at the initiative of A. G. Iosifyan in the space industry. UVM was used to decrypt the data stream from the meteorological satellite. The machine replaced the complex manual decryption of parameters and, by filtering frames, provided reliable information, even when 80–90% of the frames were distorted by noise. In this case, the result was printed almost immediately after the satellite’s flight over Moscow.

    So, in the late 60s, when the question arose of developing a RBMK reactor control system (which was installed at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as well), the ministries obviously chose the V-3M UVM as a prototype of the future system. The work was entrusted to VNIIEM and in the early 70s the integrated automation system of the Leningrad NPP “Skala” was developed by the team of the 38th department transferred to VNIIEM from the VNIIEM electric drive under the direction of Yu. D. Proferansov. The serial production of Skala systems for nuclear power plants with RBMK reactors began at the VNIIEM Institute of Physics, and V. I. Adasko, M. Ya. Tanaev, A. D. Vorobyov, I. A. Karasev, A. M. Pryadkin actively participated in it. N. D. Fedchenko.

    The software for SCALA was developed at the same VNIIEM under the guidance of V.F. Tkach. It is worth noting that the software was developed on the basis of the concept of “virtual machines” - isolated software environments, the so-called "Sandboxes", which minimized the spread of errors between different subsystems.

    The name "SKALA" has taken root so much that it is still used to name the next generations of control systems for RBMK reactors. Read more about the new systems here .

    I would like to say a few words about the direct participation of the SCALA complex in the development of the accident 28 years ago. Despite the many versions of this accident itself, none of them indicate that the cause or aggravation of the situation was a failure in the work of SCALA. Which once again confirms that from the point of view of reliability, this complex at that time was deservedly considered the best. The only option in which SCALA could affect the course of events is the speed of the calculations — if the data on the reactor were processed faster, then the consequences would be different. But, this remark in no way calls into question the reliability of the system.

    A small bonus for those who have read to the end. This linkAn archive with the RBMK-type reactor control console emulator program (DOS_TOP.zip) is available. To start, DOSbox is required (available at the same link). Quick start guide:
    1. Unpack the archive where you are comfortable
    2. Install and run DOSBox
    3. In the DOSBox console, write “mount DD: \ reactor”, where D: \ reactor should be replaced with the path to the folder where you unpacked the archive. We execute the command.
    4. In the DOSBox console, enter D :, execute
    5. Enter top, execute
    6. Trying to control the reactor

    Thanks to the habrayuzers, there were several more emulators of various kinds of complexity. Here is the list:


    New emulators are available on the same link. Those that have the word DOS in the name require this DOS to run, you can use DOSBox. I also advise you to see the BWR.exe emulator - it contains tutorials, though in English.
    Photos are taken from here , for them special thanks to the habraiser IrinaInina
    Tags:

    Also popular now: