Effect of Void Distribution Parameter and Axial Power Profile on Boiling Water Reactor Bifurcation Characteristics
- Delft University of Technology (Netherlands)
- University of Illinois (United States)
Bifurcation analyses of the impact of the void distribution parameter C{sub 0} and the axial power profile on the stability of boiling water reactors (BWRs) are reported. Bifurcation characteristics of heated channels (without nuclear feedback) appear to be very sensitive to the axial power profile. A turning point bifurcation was detected for a (symmetrically) peaked axial power profile. This kind of bifurcation does not occur for a uniformly heated channel.Both supercritical and subcritical Hopf bifurcations were encountered in a (nuclear-coupled) reactor system, depending on the strength of the void reactivity feedback. Subcritical bifurcations become less likely to occur as C{sub 0} is significantly larger than unity. In BWRs with a strong nuclear feedback, the oscillation amplitude of limit cycles caused by a supercritical bifurcation is very sensitive to both C{sub 0} and the axial power profile.
- OSTI ID:
- 20804624
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Science and Engineering, Vol. 134, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2006 American Nuclear Society (ANS), United States, All rights reserved. http://epubs.ans.org/; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0029-5639
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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