Digital simulation of a commercial scale high temperature gas-cooled reactor (htgr) steam power plant

A nonlinear dynamic model of a commercial scale high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) steam power plant was derived in state-space form from fundamental principles. The plant model is 40th order, time-invariant, deterministic and continuous-time. Numerical results were obtained by digital simulation. Steady-state performance of the nonlinear model was verified with plant heat balance data at 100, 75 and 50 percent load levels. Local stability, controllability and observability were examined in this range using standard linear algorithms. Transfer function matrices for the linearized models were also obtained. Transient response characteristics of 6 system variables for independent step disturbances in 2 different input variables are presented as typical results. Simulation of the HTGR steam power plant provides the basis for (a) understanding the complex and highly interactive process dynamics, (b) designing an interactive multivariable controller, and (c) studying plant dynamic performance under various operating and upset conditions. Modeling and simulation techniques developed in the work from which this paper is abstracted have general applicability, and can be readily adapted to the study of gas-cooled steam power plants.