Sliding mode observer design for a PWR to estimate the xenon concentration & delayed neutrons precursor density based on the two point nuclear reactor model

One of the important operations in nuclear power plants is load-following in which imbalance of axial power distribution induces xenon oscillations. These oscillations must be maintained within acceptable limits otherwise the nuclear power plant could become unstable. Therefore, bounded xenon oscillation considered to be a constraint for the load-following operation. In other hands, precursors produce delayed neutrons which are most important in control of nuclear reactor, but xenon concentration & precursor density cannot be measured directly. In this paper, non-linear sliding mode observer which has the robust characteristics facing the parameters uncertainties and disturbances is proposed based on the two point nuclear reactor model to estimate the xenon concentration & delayed neutron precursor density of the Pressurized-Water Nuclear Reactor (PWR) using reactor power measurement. The stability analysis is given by means Lyapunov approach, thus the system is guaranteed to be stable within a large range. The employed method is easy to implement in practical applications. This estimation is done taking into account the effects of reactivity feedback due to temperature and xenon concentration. Simulation results clearly show that the sliding mode observer follows the actual system variables accurately and is satisfactory in the presence of the parameters uncertainties & disturbances.