Robust fuzzy gain scheduling power control of a generation IV nuclear reactor

Abstract

Gen-IV nuclear reactors are deemed to actively participate in the load following operations in order to meet the ever increasing energy demands. Robust fuzzy gain scheduling is proposed in this work as an advanced and efficient control strategy for the power cycling of the BREST design of lead cooled fast reactors (LFR). To this end, a reasonably accurate coupled thermo-neutronic simulator is developed at first. System identification techniques are employed thereafter to extract a multi-model set at various operating levels relying on the data obtained from this simulator. Uncertainties incurred as a result of the statistically based identification schemes are moreover accounted for using a narrow band (99%) confidence level for the determined model parameters. A set of robust controllers are contrived through a mixed sensitivity analysis framework and are blended afterwards by way of a fuzzy inference mechanism to appropriately schedule this regulation practice with the reactor power level. Certain load following scenarios are finally examined wherein the closed loop system exhibits an efficient and quite feasible control attempt.