NE 351:  Nuclear Reactor System Dynamics and Control (New)

The following topics are presented during the semester.  The course format consists of lectures and laboratory demonstrations.  Students will work on two mini-projects, using MATLAB^TM and its Toolboxes.  A class project, on the design and implementation of a process control loop, is part of the course objectives.

1.  Introduction

• Evolution of system dynamic analysis and control design technology.
• Control system terminology.
• Course overview.

• Introduction to system modeling and examples.
• Some definitions.
• The perturbation equation.
• Linear systems versus nonlinear systems.
• Linearization of nonlinear models.
• Modeling uncertainties.
• State space models.
• Empirical or data-driven models.
• Model validation.

• Analytical solutions of ordinary differential equations.
• Exponential form of response of a linear system.
• Standard forcing functions in process simulation.
• Examples of first order system responses.
• Numerical solutions of differential equations.
• Matrix exponential solutions for linear state space models.
• Eigenvalues and eigenvectors.

• Definition of the Laplace transform.
• Derivation of Laplace transforms of standard functions.
• Solutions of differential equations using the Laplace transform.
• Some transform pairs.
• The method of residues and the inverse Laplace transform.
• Step response of a second order system.
• Laplace transform and linear state space models.
• Initial value theorem and final value theorem.
• Transfer functions of linear time-invariant systems.
• The impulse response.
• The convolution integral.
• Time delay systems.

• System transfer functions.
• Frequency response function.
• Examples of frequency response computation.
• Bode plots and linear system examples.
• Minimum and nonminimum phase functions.
• Frequency response of multivariate linear systems (state space models).

• Definition of stability.
• Routh stability criterion.
• Nonlinear systems and stability in the small.
• Stability analysis using frequency response methods; Nyquist stability criterion.
• Relative stability; gain and phase margins.

• Response characteristics of dynamic systems.
• System transfer function.
• Various control actions.
• Design methods for proportional-integral controllers.
• Example of application to a water level control problem.

• Point reactor kinetics equations
• Power reactor dynamics and feedback effects
• Modeling reactor core dynamics and simulation.
• Primary system model of a PWR
• Control strategies in a PWR.

10. Presentation of Class Project

Student Projects

Each student will work on two mini-projects during the semester as defined by the instructor.  The projects are related to system simulation and control design.  Students are required to prepare short reports with appropriate data and results.  The students will use computational tools, such as MATLAB and SIMULINK. The projects are assigned in order to reinforce the material covered during the semester.  The students, as a class, will also work on a control design project that would include sensors, controllers and valve actuators.

Report Format

• Abstract
• Introduction and objectives
• Body of the report
• Conclusions
• References
• Appendix

Nuclear Reactor System Dynamics and Control
 

Return to ABET Course Listing

Return to NE Homepage