Identification of nonlinear dynamics in power plant components using neural networks

Advances in digital computer technology have enabled widespread implementation of closed-loop digital control systems in a variety of industries. In some instances, however, the complexity of the plant and the uncertainty associated with the parameters involved in the mathematical modeling narrow the range of applicability of most systematic control system design methodologies. A multiyear project has been initiated to assess the feasibility of the artificial neural networks (ANNs) technology for computerized enhanced diagnostics and control of nuclear power plant components. At this stage of the project, a new methodology, based on backpropagation learning, has been developed for identifying the nonlinear dynamic systems from a set of input-output data known as the training set