Operation and control simulation of multi-modular lead-based reactor systems

Highlights: • Load changes and module scram can affect the stability of the multi-modular reactor. • An automatic power controller is designed to match the operation between reactor units. • The proposed feedforward-feedback control method can reduce the control delay error. The multi-modular reactor, which connects multiple reactor units to drive a single turbine, is considered to be an innovation in the nuclear power system. The load factors of reactor units need to be adjusted in the event of load changes and module scram, which can cause fluctuations in numerous parameters and affect the stability of the reactor. This paper discusses the effective matching operation problem between reactors. To realize an orderly adjustment of load factors, an automatic power controller incorporating two operational strategies "extreme first" and "equal change" is designed. The feedforward-feedback control method is introduced to regulate the average temperature of the secondary circuit in order to reduce the control delay error caused by the thermal inertia of the system. An operation and control simulation of the multi-modular lead-based reactor based on the China lead-based research reactor (CLEAR-I) is performed. The numerical results show that the system parameters are well controlled, and the effective coordination of each module is realized.