Improvement and Testing of a CANDU Pressurizer Dynamics Simulation

Abstract

In the course of developing a transient model for CANDU reactors for microcomputer systems, it has become necessary to develop models for several components of the heat transport system. The pressurizer model of H. Tezel has been reviewed for this purpose, and with several major alterations has been found to successfully simulate the CANDU pressurizer. The model consists of three main parts: the equations governing conservation of mass and enthalpy; the logic governing the pressure controllers, the heater and the bleed valve; and the routines for the calculation of heavy water properties in both liquid and vapor phase. Testing of the model using Pt. Lepreau data remains to be completed, however empirical testing of the pressurizer model has been performed. Testing initially involved the application of arbitrary functions of outlet header pressure, with good correlation to the expected results for a wide variety of situations. The model has also been tested when interfaced to DSNP and was again found to perform successfully.