Analysis and parameter computation of a delay coupled core nuclear reactor using walsh series expansions

Abstract

Almost all reactors consist or can be considered to consist of separate cores (regions) each being a subcritical reactor with criticality being achieved through the mutual exchange of neutrons (coupling) among cores. In this paper a class of coupled-core reactors with pure time-delays is considered, and its simulation (analysis) and parameter computation (identification) are studied using Walsh (piece-wise constant) function expansion. The theory was tested with simulated data and provides sufficient accuracy with relatively low computational requirements.