Control of nuclear power plant

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR OPERATING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WHICH INCLUDES A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE CO-EFFICIENT, A REACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT, AND A WORKING FLUID CIRCUIT INCLUDING A POWER OUTPUT DEVICE, SAID CIRCUITS BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CIRCULATING REACTOR COOLANT THROUGH THE REACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT AT A CONSTANT FLOW RATE SO AS TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT AVERAGE COOLANT TEMPERATURE IN THE REACTOR, SUPERHEATING THE FLUID IN THE WORKING FLUID CIRCUIT IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND TRANSMITTING IT TO THE POWER OUTPUT DEVICE IN THE SUPERHEATED STATE, DETECTING A VARIATION IN A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE WORKING FLUID, AND CHANGING, BY AN AMOUNT REPRSENTATIVE OF THE VARIATIO OF THE CHARACTERISTIC IN THE DIRECTION TO SATISFY THE CHARACTERISTIC, THE AMOUNT OF LIQUID WORKING FLUID SUPPLIED TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER WITH VARIABLE FLUID SUPPLY MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE LEVEL OF REACTIVITY OF THE NUCLEAR REACTOR, AND WHILE INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE, AND THEREFORE THE SATURATION TEMPERATURE, OF THE WORKING FLUID WITHIN THE HEAT EXCHANGER, THE FLUID IN THE REACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT OF THE EXCHANGER BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE NUCLEAR REACTOR AND THE CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF WORKING FLUID IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER ACTING TO CAUSE A CHANGED QUANTITY OF HEAT TO BE EXTRACTED FROM THE REACTOR COOLANT PASSING THROUGH THE HEAT EXCHANGER, AND THEREBY ACTING THROUGH THE FLUID IN THE RACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT TO ADJUST THE POWDER LEVEL OF THE NUCLEAR REACTOR.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR OPERATING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WHICH INCLUDES A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE CO-EFFICIENT, A REACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT, AND A WORKING FLUID CIRCUIT INCLUDING A POWER OUTPUT DEVICE, SAID CIRCUITS BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CIRCULATING REACTOR COOLANT THROUGH THE REACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT AT A CONSTANT FLOW RATE SO AS TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT AVERAGE COOLANT TEMPERATURE IN THE REACTOR, SUPERHEATING THE FLUID IN THE WORKING FLUID CIRCUIT IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND TRANSMITTING IT TO THE POWER OUTPUT DEVICE IN THE SUPERHEATED STATE, DETECTING A VARIATION IN A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE WORKING FLUID, AND CHANGING, BY AN AMOUNT REPRSENTATIVE OF THE VARIATIO OF THE CHARACTERISTIC IN THE DIRECTION TO SATISFY THE CHARACTERISTIC, THE AMOUNT OF LIQUID WORKING FLUID SUPPLIED TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER WITH VARIABLE FLUID SUPPLY MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE LEVEL OF REACTIVITY OF THE NUCLEAR REACTOR, AND WHILE INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE, AND THEREFORE THE SATURATION TEMPERATURE, OF THE WORKING FLUID WITHIN THE HEAT EXCHANGER, THE FLUID IN THE REACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT OF THE EXCHANGER BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE NUCLEAR REACTOR AND THE CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF WORKING FLUID IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER ACTING TO CAUSE A CHANGED QUANTITY OF HEAT TO BE EXTRACTED FROM THE REACTOR COOLANT PASSING THROUGH THE HEAT EXCHANGER, AND THEREBY ACTING THROUGH THE FLUID IN THE RACTOR COOLANT CIRCUIT TO ADJUST THE POWDER LEVEL OF THE NUCLEAR REACTOR.