An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor

The 1 MWth TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor known as RTP undergoes more than 37 years of operation in Malaysia. The current core power control utilized Feedback Control Algorithm (FCA) and a conventional Control Rod Selection Algorithm (CRSA). However, the current power tracking performance suffers and increas...

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Main Authors: Minhat, M. S., Mohd. Subha, N. A., Hassan, F., Nordin, N. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universiti Malaysia Pahang 2020
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Online Access:http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/86998/1/NurulAdilla2020_AnImprovedControlRodSelectionAlgorithm.pdf
http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/86998/
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.15282/jmes.14.1.2020.13.0498
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Institution: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Language: English
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spelling my.utm.869982020-10-25T07:24:08Z http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/86998/ An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor Minhat, M. S. Mohd. Subha, N. A. Hassan, F. Nordin, N. M. TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery The 1 MWth TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor known as RTP undergoes more than 37 years of operation in Malaysia. The current core power control utilized Feedback Control Algorithm (FCA) and a conventional Control Rod Selection Algorithm (CRSA). However, the current power tracking performance suffers and increase the workload on Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) if the range between minimum and maximum rod worth value for each control rod has a significant difference. Thus, it is requiring much time to keep the core power stable at the power demand value within the acceptable error bands for the safety requirement of the RTP. In conventional CRSA, regardless of the rod worth value, the lowest position of the control rod is selected for up-movement to regulate the reactor power with 2% chattering error. To improve this method, a new CRSA is introduced named Single Control Absorbing Rod (SCAR). In SCAR, only one rod with highest reactivity worth value will be selected for coast tuning during transient and the lowest reactivity worth value will be selected for fine-tuning rod movement during steady-state. The simulation model of the reactor core is represented based on point kinetics model, thermal-hydraulic models and reactivity model. The conventional CRSA model included with control rod position dynamic model and actual reactivity worth curve data from RTP. The FCA controller is designed based on Proportional-Integral (PI) controller using MATLAB Simulink simulation. The core power control system is represented by the integration of a reactor core model, CRSA model and FCA controller. To manifest the effectiveness of the proposed SCAR algorithm, the results are compared to the conventional CRSA in both simulation and experimentation. Overall, the results shows that the SCAR algorithm offers generally better results than the conventional CRSA with the reduction in rising time up to 44%, workload up to 35%, settling time up to 26% and chattering error up to 18% of the nominal value. Universiti Malaysia Pahang 2020-03 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/86998/1/NurulAdilla2020_AnImprovedControlRodSelectionAlgorithm.pdf Minhat, M. S. and Mohd. Subha, N. A. and Hassan, F. and Nordin, N. M. (2020) An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor. Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Sciences, 14 (1). pp. 6362-6379. ISSN 2289-4659 http://www.dx.doi.org/10.15282/jmes.14.1.2020.13.0498 DOI:10.15282/jmes.14.1.2020.13.0498
institution Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
building UTM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
content_source UTM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://eprints.utm.my/
language English
topic TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
spellingShingle TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
Minhat, M. S.
Mohd. Subha, N. A.
Hassan, F.
Nordin, N. M.
An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor
description The 1 MWth TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor known as RTP undergoes more than 37 years of operation in Malaysia. The current core power control utilized Feedback Control Algorithm (FCA) and a conventional Control Rod Selection Algorithm (CRSA). However, the current power tracking performance suffers and increase the workload on Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) if the range between minimum and maximum rod worth value for each control rod has a significant difference. Thus, it is requiring much time to keep the core power stable at the power demand value within the acceptable error bands for the safety requirement of the RTP. In conventional CRSA, regardless of the rod worth value, the lowest position of the control rod is selected for up-movement to regulate the reactor power with 2% chattering error. To improve this method, a new CRSA is introduced named Single Control Absorbing Rod (SCAR). In SCAR, only one rod with highest reactivity worth value will be selected for coast tuning during transient and the lowest reactivity worth value will be selected for fine-tuning rod movement during steady-state. The simulation model of the reactor core is represented based on point kinetics model, thermal-hydraulic models and reactivity model. The conventional CRSA model included with control rod position dynamic model and actual reactivity worth curve data from RTP. The FCA controller is designed based on Proportional-Integral (PI) controller using MATLAB Simulink simulation. The core power control system is represented by the integration of a reactor core model, CRSA model and FCA controller. To manifest the effectiveness of the proposed SCAR algorithm, the results are compared to the conventional CRSA in both simulation and experimentation. Overall, the results shows that the SCAR algorithm offers generally better results than the conventional CRSA with the reduction in rising time up to 44%, workload up to 35%, settling time up to 26% and chattering error up to 18% of the nominal value.
format Article
author Minhat, M. S.
Mohd. Subha, N. A.
Hassan, F.
Nordin, N. M.
author_facet Minhat, M. S.
Mohd. Subha, N. A.
Hassan, F.
Nordin, N. M.
author_sort Minhat, M. S.
title An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor
title_short An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor
title_full An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor
title_fullStr An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor
title_full_unstemmed An improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at TRIGA PUSTAPI reactor
title_sort improved control rod selection algorithm for core power control at triga pustapi reactor
publisher Universiti Malaysia Pahang
publishDate 2020
url http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/86998/1/NurulAdilla2020_AnImprovedControlRodSelectionAlgorithm.pdf
http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/86998/
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.15282/jmes.14.1.2020.13.0498
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