Large negative temperature coefficients for reactor fuel and neutron moderators may not guarantee a stable reactor. If these values are too large and too negative, then they will interfere destructively and allow a boundless increase in reactor power. Nuclear reactor core stability is decreased when power levels rapidly fluctuated.
Sources
- [1] Nuclear Engineering Lectures, NE560 – Lecture 1: Intro to Kinetics and Dynamics, (Aug. 17, 2020). Accessed: May 25, 2023. [Online Video]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfowMUJCrk
- [2] A. Morrison, “A comparison of pumpjets and propellers for non-nuclear submarine propulsion”.
Backlinks
[[Damaging Nuclear Reactor Transients]]
[[Negative Fuel Temperature Coefficient]]
Neutron Poison