Upgrading Steam Generator Level Control Strategy at Nuclear Power Plants

Abstract

Control systems play a vital role in the operation and performance of nuclear power plants. Steam Generator level control at nuclear power plants is critical for both plant protection and equipment safety and applies equality to high and low levels of water within the Steam Generator. Stabilizing water level of the steam generator in nuclear power plant is a very important problem since dynamics of the system have non-linear characteristics, non-minimum phase phenomenon and multi input multi output system. The swell and shrink effect is one of main factors for frequent forced outage of the nuclear power plant. Plant outage studies at Nuclear Power Plants have identified Steam Generator level control and feed water control systems as major contributors to plant unavailability. The possible ways to improve the transient and steady state responses of the existing poor control system strategy at Pickering nuclear power plant is proposed. An enhanced and robust controller for the level control of the steam generator will be discussed in the proposed strategy.