INCA: method of analyzing in-core detector data in power reactors

A method (INCA) is described by which signals from fixed in-core detectors are related to estimates of the three dimensional power distribution in an operating reactor core and to the maximum linear heat rate in the core. A description of the large library of data accompanying the method is provided. A detailed examination of the analytical verifications performed using the method is presented, and a summary of the uncertainty associated with the method is given. The uncertainty assigned to the maximum linear heat rate inferred by the method from operating reactor data is found to be 5.8 percent at a 95/95 confidence level. (U.S.)