Estimation of fuel concentration distribution and subcriticality by using "pattern matching" method

Development of criticality safety monitoring is an important issue in nucle ar fuel reprocessing plants. In this paper, two subcriticality estimation m ethods are compared. One method is based on conventional artificial neural network method. But its performance was no good in the sense that the accur acy of estimated subcriticality was the same order as the results estimated by the conventional Modified Neutron Source Multiplication method. The oth er method considered is referred to as the "Pattern matching" method. It ca n be used as the critical safety monitor for non-uniform fuel solution syst ems in reprocessing plants. Numerical experiments were carried out to exami ne the method above mentioned the estimated subcriticalities agreed well wi th the true values. The "Pattern matching" method can also be applied to th e fuel concentration estimation problem. The estimated fuel distribution ag reed reasonably with the true fuel distribution in all cases. It is conclud ed that the "Pattern matching" method is available critical safety monitor for non-uniform fuel systems in reprocessing plants. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.