CANDU Reactor Space-Time Kinetic Modeling for Load Following Control

This paper presents the development of a three-dimensional space-time neutronic kinetic modeling of a CANadian Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor for control system design and research, using a modal method. In this method, the reactor space-time neutron flux is synthesized by a time-weighted series of pre-calculated neutron flux modes. The modes are eigenfunctions of the governing neutron diffusion equation during reference steady-state operation. The Xenon effect has also been considered. The reactor model is then implemented within a simulation platform of CANDU6 reactor regulating system (RRS), in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Non-dimensionalized SIMULINK representation of the reactor kinetic modeling is established. Behavior of the reactor during a load following transient has been simulated using the developed reactor-modeling module. The simulation results prove the efficiency of the reactor modeling. Real-time three-dimensional neutron flux distribution during the transient analysis is represented.