Nonlinear Observer-Based Feedback Dissipation Load-Following Control for Nuclear Reactors

Nuclear fission reaction provides more and more energy required for generating electrical power in the world, and therefore load-following control has become an important technique for nuclear reactor regulation. A novel nonlinear controller called observer-based feedback dissipation controller for single-output-single-input (SISO) generalized Hamiltonian systems is presented in this paper. The observer has a dissipative Hamiltonian structure, and sufficient condition for closed-loop asymptotical stability is also derived. This novel control strategy is then applied to the load following control for nuclear reactors. Simulation results show that the control performance is high, and parameters of the controller have direct and close relationship with the rod speed and transient response of the nuclear power and coolant temperature.