Document Type

Annual Report

Publication Date

2007

First page number:

66

Last page number:

67

Abstract

In 1998, the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE) and Experimental and Development Organization “Gidropress” in Russia, began the design and construction of a prototype lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) accelerator target, the Target Complex 1 (TC-1), under the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) project #559 (“Pilot Flow Lead-Bismuth Target of 1 MW Power for Accelerator Driven Systems”) in support of the international efforts to develop accelerator-driven spallation systems for nuclear transmutation and other applications.

During the thermal and engineering test of the TC-1 in 2005 at UNLV, it was observed that the existing control algorithm led to a very slow convergence to the target temperature setting and also showed unstable oscillatory behavior. The original algorithm was not robust enough to handle the complicated heating system of the TC-1, where nine heating zones (elements) are compacted in one tight container. This interaction and coupling between each heating zone, as well as a heat disturbance from a low efficiency electromagnetic (EM) pump caused the overall temperature control system to be complex and nonlinear.

The objective of the proposed research was to study the coupling effect between each heating zone, and to improve the overall temperature control system of the TC-1 loop. In addition to the temperature control algorithm modification, a 24-hour automatic monitoring system of the EM pump was developed for robust and safe operation of the loop.

Keywords

Accelerator-driven systems; Automatic control; Electromagnetic pumps; Eutectic alloys; Monitoring and Controlling and Scram Protection System (MCSPS); Temperature control

Controlled Subject

Accelerator-driven systems; Electromagnetic pumps; Temperature control

Disciplines

Controls and Control Theory | Nuclear Engineering | Oil, Gas, and Energy

File Format

pdf

File Size

441 KB

Language

English


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