REAL-TIME CONTROL SYSTEMS SIMULATIONS FOR A MOLTEN SALT NUCLEAR REACTOR

摘要

Traditional simulations are a great tool to explore the behavior/response of a particular model in as little actual time as possible. While simulated-time is a good first evaluation, real-time simulation is valuable because it allows both operator interaction and hardware-in-the-loop development of control systems. In this paper, a molten-salt breeder reactor (MSBR) is simulated in real-time using MATLAB's Simulink Real-Time toolbox (formerly called xPC Target). The molten-salt reactor includes a primary molten salt (with dissolved fuel) with a hot-leg temperature of 1300 °F, a clean secondary molten salt with a hot-leg temperature of 1150 °F, and a tertiary loop generating steam at 1000 °F. Modes of operation of the MSR include a steady-state, partial load operation; various load-demand change regimes; and flow transients in both the primary and secondary salts involving partial and complete pump loss with and without load demand changes. Our results match well with the results from the ORNL analog computer model of this MSBR. Analysis of the results make apparent some of the physical limits of the lumped parameter model. Specific attention is given to results that stray from the realm of physical limits, in particular the secondary salt pump coast down behavior.