Patent ID: 9672945
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: G21C,G21D,Y02E

Claim:
1. A method of controlling a nuclear reactor shutdown system, the method comprising: detecting a fission rate within a core of a nuclear reactor with a sensor, the sensor providing an output signal corresponding to the fission rate; determining a measured flux signal from the output signal with a signal conditioning module, the measured flux signal corresponding to a percentage of a reactor power; calculating a first derivative of the measured flux signal with a rate module, the rate module outputting a rate signal corresponding to a percentage of reactor power per unit of time; calculating a flux rate difference signal based on the rate signal and a bias value; applying a gain to the flux rate difference signal to produce a rate-based signal component; summing the rate-based signal component and the measured flux signal to produce a rate-assisted flux signal corresponding to a percentage of a reactor power; comparing the rate-assisted flux signal to a trip setpoint with a comparator module, the comparator module generating a trip signal if the rate-assisted flux signal is greater than the trip setpoint; and introducing one selected from a group consisting of a neutron-absorbing solution and neutron-absorbing rods into the core of the reactor in response to the trip signal being generated, wherein determining the measured flux signal includes determining a linear measured flux single from the linear output signal with the signal conditioning module, the linear measured flux signal corresponding to a linear percentage of a reactor power.