Principles for the application of bifurcation theory for the systematic analysis of nuclear reactor stability, Part2: Application

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Contributors

Abstract

This paper is regarded as a continuation of the paper “Principles for the application of bifurcation theory for the systematic analysis of nuclear reactor stability, Part1” with the intention to provide examples demonstrating the application of the bifurcation analysis method in the framework of reactor stability analysis. Hence, we continue with chapter 5 which is devoted to three examples: (1) two-phase flow stability analysis, (2) occurrence of a generalized Hopf bifurcation (GHB) during a real nuclear reactor stability test and (3) existence of a complex stability behaviour in an environment of a double Hopf bifurcation point (Hopf-Hopf bifurcation, HHB). The efficiency of the RAM-ROM method is demonstrated for an operating point of NPP Leibstadt for which a sufficient experimental and system code database is available. These three examples of system dynamics demonstrate the partly very complex stability behaviour of nonlinear systems which cannot be explained by the application of linear stability analysis methods such as the estimation of the decay ratio (as a linear stability indicator). The consequences of the found bifurcation types in examples 2 and 3 on the particular solution structure of the underlying dynamic system will be discussed by using their respective normal forms in order to provide the reader a more clear access to the complex system behaviour around these bifurcation points. In case of the Hopf-Hopf bifurcation, we only present a selected part of solutions in this paper and refer the reader to a future paper, where more details of this bifurcation type are summarized and consequences to the full system are interpreted.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)263-280
Number of pages18
JournalProgress in nuclear energy
Volume113
Publication statusPublished - May 2019
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • Bifurcation analysis, Bifurcation of cycles, Hopfbifurcation, Limit cycle, Nonlinear dynamic system, Stability analysis of boiling water nuclear reactors