Modal-based reduced-order model of BWR out-of phase instabilities

Journal Article · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:186704

Turso, J A; Edwards, R M ^[1]; March-Leuba, J ^[2]

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1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

For the past 40 yr, reduced-order modeling of boiling water reactor (BWR) dynamic behavior has been accomplished by several researchers. These models have been primarily concerned with providing insight into the so-called corewide neutron flux oscillation, where the power at each radial location in the core oscillates in unison. This is generally considered to be an illustration of the fundamental neutronic mode excited by the core thermal hydraulics. The time dependence of the fundamental mode is typically described by the point-kinetics equations, with one or more delayed-neutron groups. Thermal-hydraulic excitation of the first azimuthal harmonic mode, the so-called out-of-phase (OOP) instability, has been observed in operating BWRs. The temporal behavior of a low-order model of this phenomenon can be characterized using the modal point-kinetics formulation developed in this paper.

• OSTI ID: 186704
• Report Number(s): CONF-950601--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 72; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
HARMONICS
HYDRAULICS
INSTABILITY
NEUTRON DIFFUSION EQUATION
NEUTRON FLUX
OSCILLATION MODES
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR PHYSICS