Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Use of reactivity constraints for the automatic control of reactor power

Conference · · IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6135229
; ;

A theoretical framework for the automatic control of reactor power has been developed and experimentally evaluated on the 5 MWt Research Reactor that is operated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The controller functions by restricting the net reactivity so that it is always possible to make the reactor period infinite at the desired termination point of a transient by reversing the direction of motion of whatever control mechanism is associated with the controller. This capability is formally designated as ''feasibility of control''. It has been shown experimentally that maintenance of feasibility of control is a sufficient condition for the automatic control of reactor power. This research should be of value in the design of closed-loop controllers, in the creation of reactivity displays, in the provision of guidance to operators regarding the timing of reactivity changes, and as an experimental envelope within which alternate control strategies can be evaluated.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA
OSTI ID:
6135229
Report Number(s):
CONF-841007-
Journal Information:
IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States) Vol. NS-32:1; ISSN IETNA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Application of the ''reactivity constraint approach'' to automatic reactor control
Journal Article · Sun Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1988 · Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States) · OSTI ID:6957005
Demonstration of the reactivity constraint approach on SNL's annual core research reactor
Conference · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1988 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Supplement; (USA) · OSTI ID:5228365
Experimental evaluation of an instrumented synthesis method for the real-time estimation of reactivity. Master's thesis
Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · OSTI ID:5780562

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210400 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Otherwise Moderated or Unmoderated
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
AUTOMATION
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
MITR REACTOR
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFETY
TANK TYPE REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRAINING REACTORS
TRANSIENTS