Publications Details
Experimental demonstration of the MIT-SNL (Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Sandia National Laboratories) period-generated minimum time control laws for rapid increases of reactor power from subcritical conditions
Use of the MIT-SNL Period-Generated Minimum Time Control Laws for the automated increase of neutronic power from subcritical conditions has recently been demonstrated. The use of these laws is advantageous because they provide the speed at which a control device should be withdrawn in order to generate a specified period. Two strategies were investigated. The first was the direct use of the MIT-SNL laws for the entire transient, startup plus operation at power. The second was to add reactivity at a constant rate until criticality was achieved and then to transfer control to the MIT-SNL laws. Each was evaluated by both simulation and actual experiment under conditions of closed-loop digital control on the Annular Core Research Reactor that is operated by the Sandia National Laboratories. Both approaches were shown to be feasible. The former has the advantage that the power profile will be known during the startup. Its drawback is that an excessively high rate of reactivity change may be needed to initiate the transient. 16 refs., 9 figs.