Nuclear Secondary-Loop Thermal Modeling and Off-Design Analysis
Thermal-system modeling and simulation · Dec 2024 – Aug 2025
Thermal modeling for design and high-pressure-heater outage conditions, supporting monitoring and operating analysis.
- Development tool
- Python
- Maximum model-principle validation error
- ≤0.1%
- Maximum extraction-flow error in heater-outage case
- 1.55%
Background
Modeled the secondary loop of a nuclear power unit under design conditions and off-design scenarios such as high-pressure-heater outages.
Methods
- Developed Python models for regenerative heaters, moisture separator reheaters and the turbine.
- Fitted load-ratio versus stage-efficiency characteristics and solved operating cases iteratively.
- Developed an interface from the PI database to a time-series database for operating data.
Results
- Maximum model-principle validation error was at most 0.1%; maximum steam-extraction flow error was 1.55% for a one-train high-pressure-heater outage.
- Completed calculation programs and operating-data integration and supported a monitoring and operating-guidance system.