Stochastic Model to Monitor Mechanical Vibrations in Pressurized Water Reactors

摘要

The feasibility of using neutron flux and core-exit temperature signals in PWRs for estimating core coolant flow velocity has been demonstrated using normal operational data from both the LOFT reactor and a commerical PWR. The LOFT analysis further showed that the core coolant velocity can be accurately monitored for various flow rates using the linear phase-frequency relationship in the frequency range 0.1 to 2 Hz. The development of the technique for monitoring core coolant velocity in PWRs provides a valuable alternative for flow measurement. Theoretical studies of core heat transfer in PWRs showed that the fluctuating heat sources have a dominating effect on the core-exit temperature compared to fluctuations of the coolant flow rate and core inlet coolant temperature. In the present analysis a detailed distributed parameter model of a PWR core was developed with the purpose of studying the following aspects of core coolant flow rate measurement: the mechanisms causing linear phase relationship between neutron flux and coolant temperature signals due to various perturbation sources; the effect of axial flux shape on the phase slope (or estimated transit delay time); and the relationship between transit delay time and effective distance of temperature noise propagation to maintain the flow velocity invariant. (ERA citation 09:043241)