US5225147A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Real time analysis of light water core neutronics
Assignee: GP INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING & SIMULATION Inc
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Filing: 1992-03-04
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Granted: 1993-07-06
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Expires: 2012-03-04
Abstract
Abstract An improved method for monitoring the parameters of a nuclear core reactor, analyzing the monitored parameters using modified two neutron group diffusion equations that have been subjected to space-time factorization such that the factorized shape functions are approximated, and determining the core neutronics in constant time steps, for example, about 0.25 seconds, thereby to provide analysis and simulations in full range of core neutronics in real-time continuously.
Inventors
- 👤 Eric K. Lin
- 👤 James Lin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 13:01
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C17/00; F; F02; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/027; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for determining the neutronics parameters of a reactor core comprising the steps of: representing the reactor core as a plurality of nodes having a coarse nodal representation; monitoring selected neutronic parameters of the reactor core; providing time-dependent two group neutron diffusion equations coupled to delayed neutron precursor concentrations that have been subjected to space-time factorization by shape and amplitude functions in response to the plurality of nodes; sensing the monitored parameters; and determining the core neutronics parameters in response to the sensed parameters and the provided two group neutron diffusion equations in constant time steps for sensing the monitored parameters and determining the core neutronics parameters in a real-time environment, the time steps being not less than one quarter second.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
122 words
A method for determining the neutronics parameters of a reactor core comprising the steps of: representing the reactor core as a plurality of nodes having a coarse nodal representation; monitoring selected neutronic parameters of the reactor core; providing time-dependent two group neutron diffusion equations coupled to delayed neutron precursor concentrations that have been subjected to space-time factorization by shape and amplitude functions in response to the plurality of nodes; sensing the monitored parameters; and determining the core neutronics parameters in response to the sensed parameters and the provided two group neutron diffusion equations in constant time steps for sensing the monitored parameters and determining the core neutronics parameters in a real-time environment, the time steps being not less than one quarter second.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein representing the core further comprises representing the core as a plurality of radial and axial nodes in the range of from 1500 to 4500 total nodes, each radial node having from 8 to 24 axial nodes.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
105 words
A method for determining the neutronics parameters of a reactor core comprising the steps of: representing the reactor core as a plurality of nodes; monitoring selected neutronic parameters of the reactor core; providing a solution set of time-dependent two group neutron diffusion equations coupled to delayed neutron precursor concentrations that have been subjected to space-time factorization into shape and amplitude functions for the neutron groups and delayed neutron precursors for the plurality of nodes; sensing the monitored parameters; and solving the shape functions by approximation and solving amplitude functions in response to the sensed parameters in constant time steps, thereby determining the core neutronics parameters.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
105 words
A method for determining the neutronics parameters of a reactor core comprising the steps of: representing the reactor core as a plurality of nodes; monitoring selected neutronic parameters of the reactor core; providing a solution set of time-dependent two group neutron diffusion equations coupled to delayed neutron precursor concentrations that have been subjected to space-time factorization into shape and amplitude functions for the neutron groups and delayed neutron precursors for the plurality of nodes; sensing the monitored parameters; and solving the shape functions by approximation and solving amplitude functions in response to the sensed parameters in constant time steps, thereby determining the core neutronics parameters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 3 wherein representing the core further comprises representing the core as a plurality of radial nodes, each radial node having in the range of from 8 to 24 axial nodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 3 wherein solving shape functions and amplitude functions further comprise solving said functions in real time using a first constant time step of not less than 0.25 seconds for solving the amplitude functions and a second constant time step that is a multiple of the first constant time step for solving the shape functions, thereby simulating the full range of operation of the core continuously.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 3 wherein solving the amplitude functions further comprise applying a dynamic implicit solution method wherein the reactivity is calculated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 3 wherein solving the shape functions by approximation further comprises applying the Borresen approximation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 3 wherein solving the shape functions further comprises applying a modified Gauss-Seidel approach.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
107 words
Apparatus for determining the neutronics parameters of a reactor core comprising: a mathematical model of the reactor core as a plurality of nodes; means for receiving selected neutronic parameters of the reactor core; first processing means for providing a solution set of time-dependent two group neutron diffusion equations coupled to delayed neutron precursor concentrations factorized into shape and amplitude functions for the neutron groups and delayed neutron precursors for the plurality of nodes; and second processing means for solving the shape functions by approximation and for solving amplitude functions in response to the received selected neutronic parameters in constant time steps, thereby determining the core neutrons parameters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
107 words
Apparatus for determining the neutronics parameters of a reactor core comprising: a mathematical model of the reactor core as a plurality of nodes; means for receiving selected neutronic parameters of the reactor core; first processing means for providing a solution set of time-dependent two group neutron diffusion equations coupled to delayed neutron precursor concentrations factorized into shape and amplitude functions for the neutron groups and delayed neutron precursors for the plurality of nodes; and second processing means for solving the shape functions by approximation and for solving amplitude functions in response to the received selected neutronic parameters in constant time steps, thereby determining the core neutrons parameters.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second processing means comprises a third processing means for solving the shape and amplitude functions for a subset of the plurality of nodes corresponding to a local region of the core, thereby determining the core neutronics parameters for said local core region.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of radial nodes wherein each radial node has a plurality of axial nodes selected from between 8 and 24.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second processing means operates using a first constant time steps selected on the order of 0.25 seconds for solving the amplitude functions, and a second constant time step that is a multiple of the first constant time step for solving the shape functions, thereby simulating the full range of operation of the core continuously.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second processing means further comprises means for solving the amplitude functions by application of a dynamic implicit solution method wherein the reactivity is calculated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second processing means further comprises means for solving the shape functions by application of the Borresen approximation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second processing means further comprises means for solving the shape functions by application of a modified Gauss-Seidel approach.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing the solution set further comprises providing the neutron groups with the same amplitude function which is only a function of time.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the step of providing the solution set further comprise providing the delayed neutron precursors with the same shape function which is a function of time and space.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing the solution set further comprises providing the neutron groups with the same amplitude function which is only a function of time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing the solution set further comprises three shape functions and seven amplitude functions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the second constant time step is four times the first.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the neutron groups of the solution set have the same amplitude function which is only a function of time.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the delayed neutron precursors of the solution set have the same shape function which is a function of time and space.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the neutron groups of the solution set have the same amplitude function which is only a function of time.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the solution set further comprises three shape functions and seven amplitude functions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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