A cascade control strategy for a space nuclear reactor system

This work presents a linear feedback control for the space nuclear reactor power system TOPAZ II. The point-kinetics approximation with six-delayed-ne utron-group is used to represent the neutron field dynamics. A favorable ch oice of input control variables is demostrated, which leads to a cascade co ntrol configuration with two classical either PI or P controllers. The stra tegy is based on linearizing-like feedback control endowed with a modeling error estimator via a reduced order-observer. The effectiveness of the cont rol law to the tracking of a given thermal power profile in the start-up re gime and the tracking of a given electric power profile in the operation re gime are illustrated via numerical simulations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.