Self-Tuning Load-Following Control of a Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract The paper describes an application on self-tuning (adaptive) control to the nuclear/thermal part of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power station. The control design is based on a rather simple mathematical low-order model with unknown, possibly time-varying parameters. To ensure that the low-order model describes the complex real dynamics well enough for control purposes, its parameters are updated in real time with a recursive identification method. The algorithm includes a self-tuning feedforward compensation toaccount for load (disturbance) changes. The controller was developed to handle load changes of rather large amplitude. Its purpose was to hold the reactor temperature as near as possible to a desired but changing setpoint-value. The position of the control rods is an appropriate control variable. The application was very successful : the control behaviour was far beyond the specifications. This points to the possibilities of these modem controlmethods for implementation in actual plants.