Comparative study for load-follow operations of the Holos microreactor

This paper presents a comparative study of control algorithms for load-follow operation of the Holos microreactor. Further, we look at the effect of missing physics in the mathematical model of the controller. A state-space model is developed to represent the neutronics and thermal-hydraulics coupled systems, and the Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm is implemented for the autonomous control. To demonstrate a more reliable numerical model, the ¹³⁵Xe dynamics have been included in the mathematical model, and the impact of the ¹³⁵Xe dynamics on the daily load-following operation simulation is studied. A numerical simulation demonstrates that more than 3% error in the rated power occurs if the ¹³⁵Xe dynamics are neglected in the control algorithm. Additionally, conventional control algorithms and the MPC algorithm are compared to select the best method for the autonomous control of the Holos reactor. From the comparative study, the MPC is recommended since it offers greater accuracy and flexibility. (authors)