EA Systems Inc’s PASCE software has been selected by Electricité de France as the company-wide standard for 2D plant design and plant lifecycle data management for beyond the year 2000. EDF will use the software to produce and manage intelligent schematics and 2D computer models for future nuclear projects.
EDF is currently implementing a computer system project, CAO2000, which will establish computer-aided design and engineering standards for all future plant design and refurbishment projects. EDF will use the PASCE system’s PlantSCHEMA™ module throughout the lifecycle of its plants, in support of its design and engineering operations and ongoing maintenance and as an aid to regulatory compliance.
According to Patrice Cornon, deputy manager of the CAD Section of the utility’s engineering division, “Pasce is a powerful platform on which we can develop application specific tools for the REP2000 reactor project. As a key element of our CAO2000 initiative, the PlantSCHEMA module will enable data sharing with 3D modelling, piping and document management applications, and easy access to data for hundreds of users in a variety of engineering and non- engineering departments.” EDF has used the PHOENIX package, a predecessor to PlantSCHEMA, since 1982 for engineering the N4 series of nuclear plants. Like PHOENIX, PlantSCHEMA consolidates both 2D graphic and non-graphic information into one central database for single time data entry and consistency. It will also support remote collaboration and concurrent engineering, and provide links to drawing generation applications such as AutoCAD. The software’s open architecture also enables easy integration with specialised applications for 3D modelling, process simulation, cost estimating and document management.
EA Systems developed its PASCE (Plant Applications and Solutions for the Competitive Enterprise) software suite to support the design and engineering of complex plants, and computer-based management of plant information over the operating life of these facilities. The modular design meets a broad range of user needs, from 2D intelligent schematics that can generate every common engineering and regulatory report, to 3D physical models supporting interactive, virtual “walk-throughs” of plant concepts.
In 1995, EA Systems introduced the concept of Plant Lifecycle Data Management (PLDM) as a component. PLDM systems integrate all plant information in a central database and provide tools for the use and reuse of data during all the phases of a plant’s life, from conceptual design through decommissioning.
PASCE databases are linked to additional modules and third-party applications, providing access by all disciplines in design, operations, maintenance and management. To support this functionality, PASCE is built around two major applications, PlantVIEW and PlantSCHEMA. Other modules include: PlantCAD, PlantWALK, PlantPIPE, PlantBROWSER, PlantCONCEPT etc.
