Load control of the point model of a PWR-type nuclear reactor using a tuned controller with the DE algorithm

Abstract

The load control of a nuclear reactor is important due to the nonlinear nature of its dynamics and the dependence of some parameters on the output power. the Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller (PID) is commonly regarded as an easy choice for reliable control. In this research, the relative neutron density in the point kinetics model of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) is controlled by an optimized PID with the meta-heuristic Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm. The Integral of Time-Absolute Error (ITAE) performance index has been used for optimization with this algorithm. The simulation results show that the optimized control system with the DE algorithm has the appropriate efficiency and accuracy in response to power demand.

Keywords

• pwr
• point kinetics model
• de algorithm
• pid controller