Anticipatory control of xenon in a pressurized water reactor

Patent · Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6727237

Impink, Jr, A J

A method is described for automatically dampening xenon-135 spatial transients in the core of a pressurized water reactor having control rods which regulate reactor power level, comprising the steps of: measuring the neutron flu in the reactor core at a plurality of axially spaced locations on a real-time, on-line basis; repetitively generating from the neutron flux measurements, on a point-by-point basis, signals representative of the current axial distribution of xenon-135, and signals representative of the current rate of change of the axial distribution of xenon-135; generating from the xenon-135 distribution signals and the rate of change of xenon distribution signals, control signals for reducing the xenon transients; and positioning the control rods as a function of the control signals to dampen the xenon-135 spatial transients.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4642213
• Application Number: TRN: 87-012453
• OSTI ID: 6727237
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 27 Jul 1984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
POSITIONING
PWR TYPE REACTORS
XENON 135
CONTROL
NEUTRON FLUX
REACTOR CORES
SIGNALS
SPACE DEPENDENCE
TRANSIENTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
RADIATION FLUX
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
XENON ISOTOPES
220400* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Control Systems
210200 - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled