Control system design for a 100 MW(th) research reactor

This paper presents the computer simulation carried out to evolve a suitable analog controller for a 100 MW(th) heavy water moderated research reactor under construction at Trombay. The control action is based on the average neutron flux in the reactor core and the reactivity is controlled by adjusting the moderator level in the calandria. A dual control scheme controlling the inflow as well as the outflow was adopted in order to fully exploit the capabilities of control elements. For reasons of reliability, the system consists of three identical channels enabling safe operation even under one channel failure. Based on the simulation studies a suitable compensation network was incorporated to achieve satisfactory system response. (author)