Multi-modular nuclear reactor plant simulation and control. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5162481

Waltrip, M K

A new generation of nuclear power plants now being considered will likely incorporate a multi-modular design strategy, in which separate nuclear-steam supply modules provide steam to an aggregate turbine-generator. Smaller reactor cores in each module allow for the implementation of advanced safety features with relative ease and economy. Use of one relatively large turbine-generator set should help the multi-modular nuclear power plant to capture economies of scale by sharing the balance of plant components between several-steam supply modules. Operating nuclear steam supplies in parallel while supplying the common turbine through a shared steam header requires load sharing between modules. Control principles for operation of a multi-modular array of liquid-metal-cooled reactors (LMRs) under a variable power demand are discussed, and one proposed principle is analyzed and evaluated. The proposed control system requires that both steam flow and steam pressure be specified to each module in the form of a demand signal. The module controller responds to the demand signal by referring to a control program which estimates the equilibrium values of plant temperatures and flows necessary to meet the demanded steam flow and pressure. A nonlinear constraint-based temperature controller monitors operating conditions in the reactor and, using estimates of reactivity and delayed neutron precursor activity, takes appropriate supervisory action as necessary during transients. The supervisory check of control actions is performed as part of a fault-tolerant approach to reactor control designed to automatically avoid overshoot of plant power and temperature limits.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
• OSTI ID: 5162481
• Report Number(s): AD-A-213333/8/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210000* -- Nuclear Power Plants
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ENGINEERING
EQUILIBRIUM
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
MACHINERY
MODULAR STRUCTURES
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
SIMULATION
STEAM TURBINES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOLERANCE
TURBINES
TURBOGENERATORS
TURBOMACHINERY