Designing a control strategy based on disturbance observer on a nuclear power plant

Abstract

This work presents a comprehensive approach to managing nonlinear systems affected by disturbances in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), utilizing Disturbance Observer-Based Control (DOBC) methods. An approximate bulk parameter model is introduced to describe the thermal transients of both the fuel and coolant. The disturbance and its states are analyzed, and a method is introduced to effectively mitigate the disturbance in control systems. The core of this approach is the design of a disturbance observer. The observer is then designed, and its governing equations are derived. In the conducted simulations, the estimated values are validated, and the estimation error is calculated. The primary objective is to minimize the deviation between the measured and actual values, ensuring the robustness and accuracy of the control system within the PWR.