Power cutbacks as an alternative to scrams; An application of the MIT-SNL period-generated minimum time control laws

Journal Article · Sun Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/23.289351· OSTI ID:5105130

Bernard, J A ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Nuclear Reactor Lab.

A cutback is a rapid reduction in a reactor's neutronic power caused by the high-speed insertion of the control devices. The advantages to using cutbacks in lieu of scrams is that the cutback may make the reactor only slightly subcritical while still significantly decreasing the power. Thus, the thermal stress associated with a complete shutdown is avoided and a rapid return to normal operation is possible. The physical basis for cutbacks is reviewed and possible areas of application are enumerated. At present, cutbacks are implemented by inserting the control devices at a prespecified speed. The power will decrease but neither the profile nor the magnitude of the decrease is specified. As a result, cutbacks are not used extensively in reactor safety systems. Use of the MIT-SNL Period-Generated Minimum Time Control Laws to rectify these deficiencies is proposed. These model-based laws combine both feedback and feedforward control action to achieve excellent trajectory tracking. In this paper the basis of the MIT-SNL laws is reviewed and experiments demonstrating their use for both cutback initiation and recovery are given.

• OSTI ID: 5105130
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Vol. 38:2; ISSN 0018-9499; ISSN IETNA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DATA
EQUATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
KINETICS
NUMERICAL DATA
REACTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
SAFETY
SCRAM
SHUTDOWN
STRESSES
SUBCRITICALITY
THERMAL STRESSES