The chaotic dynamics of boiling-water reactors is investigated on the basis of a one-dimensional integral model of momentum for the boiling-water channel and point equation of kinetics. It is shown that chaotic oscillations during which the sign of the coolant velocity in the boiling channel changes occur in the case of strong feedback on steam content with the parameters of the boiling channel deep in the region of instability occur in boiling-water reactors with natural and forced circulation of the coolant. It is determined that such oscillations can occur with the standard reactor arrangement when the core entrance is open for water to enter the core and for back circulation of the coolant as well as with an arrangement where the entrance is half open – closed for back circulation of the coolant. A numerical calculation of the chaotic oscillations is performed. The mechanism of pulsed chaos is described. Regions of stability and stochasticity are separated in the plane of the parameters characterizing the underheating of water to the saturation temperature at the entrance to the reactor and stationary average steam content in the core. One-dimensional point mappings determining the chaotic dynamics of the boiling water reactor are constructed. The properties of the mappings and the bifurcation of their stationary points are investigated.
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Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 107, No. 5, pp. 243–251, November, 2009.
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Postnikov, N.S. Investigation of chaotic oscillations in boiling-water reactors. At Energy 107, 291–301 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-010-9228-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-010-9228-9