Analysis of ABWR Critical Control and Heat-Up Control Operation by TRACG Code

Most startup and shutdown operations in advanced boiling water reactors (ABWRs) are automated by an automatic power regulator (APR). Hitachi and Hitachi-GE utilized the three-dimensional transient analysis code TRACG to design and verify the APR control algorithms. To verify the algorithms, an external neutron source model that makes it possible to simulate a sub-critical initial core, a water temperature reactivity model, a startup range neutron monitor (SRNM) model, and the APR system models were developed and coded onto the TRACG code. The improved TRACG code has been tested and verified with ABWR startup test data. In the test, the criticality was achieved 40 min after beginning of control rod (CR) withdrawal. The code results, for example, CR operation timing, CR withdrawal length, and signals of the neutron sensors agreed well with the test data. In the heat-up control mode, the measured increasing rate of the reactor water temperature was well simulated for a period longer than six hours.