Nuclear Core Protection Using Precomputed SPND Inverse Matrices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing core protection systems in nuclear power plants face significant computational load and slow response due to real-time computation of coefficient and inverse matrices when self-powered neutron detectors fail, necessitating lengthy computation times.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that output a power-increase block signal to nuclear power devices, retrieve an inverse matrix from a library based on the failed neutron detector's identity, update three-dimensional core power, and remove the block signal upon updating, thereby bypassing real-time matrix calculations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If real-time computation of coefficient matrices and inverse matrices is performed when SPND failures occur, then the three-dimensional core power can be reconstructed, but the computational load increases significantly and response time slows down

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecore power reconstruction accuracyVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-calculates and stores multiple inverse matrices corresponding to different SPND failure scenarios in a library before actual operation. When a detector fails, the system directly retrieves the pre-computed inverse matrix from the library instead of performing real-time computation, thus eliminating the time-consuming matrix inversion process while ensuring accurate core power reconstruction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-computes coefficient matrices and their inverses for various possible SPND failure modes during the design phase or before operation begins. These pre-computed matrices are stored in a library for rapid retrieval during actual failure events, transforming a computationally intensive real-time problem into a simple data lookup operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If real-time computation of coefficient matrices and inverse matrices is performed when SPND failures occur, then the three-dimensional core power can be reconstructed, but the computational load on computing devices increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecore power reconstruction accuracyVSAvoidcomputational load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-calculates and stores multiple inverse matrices corresponding to different SPND failure scenarios in a library before actual operation. When a detector fails, the system directly retrieves the pre-computed inverse matrix from the library instead of performing real-time computation, thus eliminating the time-consuming matrix inversion process while ensuring accurate core power reconstruction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the computationally intensive matrix inversion operation from the real-time failure response process and moves it to the pre-computation phase. By separating the computation phase from the response phase, the system eliminates heavy computational loads during critical failure events, retaining only simple retrieval and application operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4700795A1Nuclear power plant operation protection method and apparatus, and computer device and storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 CHINA NUCLEAR POWER TECH RES INST CO LTD
  • EP4700795A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4700795A1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4700795A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A nuclear power plant operation protection method and apparatus, and a computer device and a storage medium are provided. The nuclear power plant operation protection method includes: on a condition that a failed neutron detector is detected in a nuclear power plant, outputting a power-increase block signal to a nuclear power device of the nuclear power plant to cause the nuclear power device to operate based on the block signal (S201); retrieving an inverse matrix corresponding to the failed neutron detector from an inverse matrix library according to an identity of the failed neutron detector (S202); updating a three-dimensional core power based on the inverse matrix (S203); and removing the power-increase block signal from the nuclear power device of the nuclear power plant based on the updated three-dimensional core power, and resuming normal operation of the nuclear power device of the nuclear power plant (S204).