A simplified mathematical model of a U-tube steam generator under variable load conditions

A steam generator in a nuclear power plant with a light water reactor is a heat exchanger, in which the heat is being transferred from the primary to the secondary loop (it links the primary and secondary loops). When the power plant is running, the inlet parameters (temperatures and mass flow rates) on both sides of the steam generator can change. It is important to know how the changes of these parameters affect the steam generator performance. The complexity of the processes taking place in the steam generator makes it difficult to create a simulator reflecting its performance under changed conditions. In order to simplify the task, the steam generator was considered as a ‘black box’ with the aim of examining how the changes of the inlet parameters affect the changes of the outlet ones. On the basis of the system (steam generator) response, a simple mathematical model of the steam generator under variable load conditions was proposed. In the proposed model, there are two dimensionless parameters and three constant coefficients. A linear relation between these dimensionless parameters was obtained. The correctness of the model was verified against the data obtained with a steam generator simulator for European Pressured Reactor and AP-600 reactors. A good agreement between the proposed model and the simulator data was achieved.