Optimal Control of Nuclear Reactor Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the optimal control of nuclear reactor systems. A nuclear reactor in which spatial effects are important is an excellent example of a distributed parameter system. The quantity to be controlled, usually the neutron population, depends not only on time but also on the spatial position in the reactor. An error signal that is the deviation of the flux from its desired value then depends on both space and time. The concept of using this spatial error signal is discussed in the chapter by the study of the control of a specific problem; the specific problem being the oscillation of the power density in a nuclear reactor, such that a “hot spot” moves from one region to another and back again in the course of time. In a point reactor, the flux is controlled by the control rods. Even if the point reactor were unstable, the whole plant would be stable and capable of maintaining a steady state flux by adjustment of the rods because of the slow time constants involved in the xenon process.

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