Performance evaluation of a 3-D kinetic model for CANDU reactors in a closed-loop environment

The performance of a newly developed three dimensional (3-D) reactor kinetic model for CANDU reactor is evaluated in this paper. The evaluation is carried out in a closed-loop environment with the help of an existing reactor regulating system (RRS). The 3-D model is obtained based on a modal synthesis method, which represents the neutron flux distribution inside the reactor in both time and space. Throughout this paper, a special attention has been paid to compare the performance of the developed 3-D model with that of traditional coupled point kinetic models. The dynamic behavior of the reactor model in a practical load-following mode has also been examined. The accuracy of the model has been validated against actual plant measurements under both transient and steady-state conditions. Through the analysis and the simulation studies, it has convincingly demonstrated that the developed 3-D model has significant advantages over traditional coupled point kinetic models in terms of the improved accuracy and the higher resolution in modeling the reactor internal dynamics.

► Comparison of coupled point kinetic and modal synthesis methods for CANDU modeling.
► Closed-loop implementation of reactor regulating system with 3-D reactor model.
► Validation of simulation results against actual plant measurements.
► Comparison of simulation results to those of point kinetic model.