Signal processing system design for improved shutdown system of CANDU® nuclear reactors in large break LOCA events

For CANDU reactors, several options to improve CANDU nuclear power plant operation safety margin have been investigated in this paper. A particular attention is paid to the response time of CANDU shutdown system number 1 (SDS1) in case of large break loss of coolant accident (LLOCA). Based on point kinetic method, a systematic fundamental analysis is performed to CANDU LLOCA event, and the power transient signal is generated. In order to improve the SDS1 response time during LLOCA events, an innovative power measurement and signal processing system is particularly designed. The new signal processing system is implemented with the input of the LLOCA power transient, and the simulation results of the reactor trip time and signal are compared to those of the existing system in CANDU power plants. It is demonstrated that the new signal processing system can not only achieve a shorter reactor trip time than the existing system, but also accommodate the spurious trip immunity. This will significantly enhance the safety margin for the power plant operation, or bring extra economical benefits to the power plant units.