DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF HOMOGENEOUS-CIRCULATING-FUEL REACTOR SYSTEMS

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4248619

Cunningham, J P; Flaherty, Jr, F T; Gallagher, Jr, J M

A theoretical study is presented on the dynamic behavior of a power- generating system consisting of a homogeneous-circulating-fuel reactors a counterflow heat exchanger coupling the fuel loop to a secondary coolant loop, and a power load represented by a temperature drop in the secondary coolant. The system is controlled only by the negative temperature coefficient of reactivity associated with the fuel. The timedependent one-group diffusion equation is solved for a bare cylindrical reactor, as well as the decay and circulation equations for two groups of delayed-neutron precursors. An analog computer was utilized to find the response of the system to positive and negative step changes in the load under various conditions. The data are analyzed and discussed in terms of the effects of various parameters on dynamic behavior. (W.D.M.)

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge. Dynamic Analysis and Control Lab.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-015766
• OSTI ID: 4248619
• Report Number(s): DACL-RM-7457-2; AD-146707
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANALOG SYSTEMS
COMPUTERS
CONTROL
COOLANT LOOPS
CYLINDERS
DECAY
DELAYED NEUTRONS
DIFFUSION
EQUATIONS
FLUID FLOW
FUELS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
POWER PLANTS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
TEMPERATURE
TRANSIENTS
VARIATIONS