On nuclear-coupled thermal-hydraulic instability analysis of Super-Critical-Light-Water-cooled-reactor (SCLWR)

Abstract

The nonlinear stability analysis of a supercritical light water reactor (SCLWR) is presented using a nuclear-coupled thermal-hydraulic reduced-order model. The analytical model is developed by coupling 1. the point-kinetics equations with one group of delayed neutrons, 2. the fuel heat transfer and 3. a 1-D reduced order model which represents the heat absorption phenomenon during the coolant flow. Unlike the existing studies, which are limited to linear stability analysis, the primary objective of the work is to present the detailed nonlinear dynamics of the SCLWR system. The said goal is achieved at two levels. The first level is the linear stability analysis wherein the linear stability boundaries are shown in two sets of parameter space namely the two intrinsic reactivity feedbacks (Doppler reactivity feedback and density reactivity feedback) and the pseudo-phase-change number and pseudo subcooling number. The parametric effects show the sensitivity of the linear stability boundaries with the system parameters. In the second level, to discuss the nonlinear characteristics of the system, two types of Hopf bifurcations (subcritical and supercritical) are studied with the help of first Lyapunov coefficients of the system. Multiple numerical simulations are performed to verify the resultant limit cycle behavior associated with these bifurcations. Moreover, the occurrence of the generalized Hopf bifurcation is shown which represents the bifurcation between the subcritical Hopf and the supercritical Hopf regions. Further, inside the stable region of the linear stability boundary, the saddle-node bifurcation is found which represents the location of the turning point and the threshold of the globally stable region of the system.