Nuclear Energy and Technology (Jun 2016)
Ideology and problems of systems and economic optimization of NPPs
Abstract
Iterative technique for optimization of components of nuclear fuel and energy complex (NFEC) is described. Nuclear power (NP) is one of such NFEC components. Optimization of nuclear power plant (NPP) is iteratively interconnected with optimization of the structure NP as the component within the NFEC system. Correlation functions between the components describing material flows and their costs as time functions are obtained by sequential optimization of components of the NFEC system. External flows and costs for each iteration step during optimization of specific component are taken from other components of the NFEC system optimized during the same iteration step. Flows and costs obtained during optimization of the component of the NFEC system examined during the consecutive iteration step are transmitted for optimization of other system components during the same iteration step. Specific NPPs are optimized following the same principle. Convergence of plans (solutions) of development and arrangement of all components is achieved by sequential optimization of all components within the NFEC system. Thus, convergence of all time functions including material flows and their costs is achieved allowing finding one or several locally optimal plans of development and arrangement of the fuel and energy complex (FEC) of Russia, as well as power plants (PPs) fueled with coal, gas, NPPs and other PPs. If the number of locally optimal plans is countable, then it is possible to select the best among them by comparing their functionals (values of the objective function). Upon obtaining new information with regard to any of the factors of mathematical models of components of the NFEC system optimization of components of the system must be repeated. In this case optimization must be performed taking into consideration the incurred costs under construction and already commissioned PPs. Problems of systems optimization of components of the NFEC system as the functional of NPP optimization are identified. The task of optimization of complex systems refers to the most complex class of degenerate optimization problems [1]. No theory of degenerate optimization problems exists as of the present moment, although specifically these problems are real. Degenerate optimization problems should not be associated with degenerate matrices. Degenerate optimization problems deal with non-singular matrices having inverse matrices and, consequently, having solutions. However, the nature of these problems is such, that these solutions are degenerate (one or more components of the basis vector of the solution are equal to zero). The problem of convergence in the optimization of arbitrary component of the NFEC system to locally optimal plan coordinated with locally optimal plans for other components of the NFEC system is one of the main problems of degenerate optimization problems. Appearance of iterating loops during internal iterations in the process of optimization of plans for separate component of the NFEC system is not less important for problems of this class. This feature requires including incorporation of additional algorithms for exiting from the loops in the optimization algorithms.
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