Method for calibrating steam generator water level measurement

• US 7,120,218 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Jagannathan Seenu
• Primary Examiner(s): PALABRICA, RICARDO J
• Application Number:
  US10/647,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 376/245, 376/258, 376/260, 376/211, 376/246, 73/1, 738/61, 732/99, 122/451, 122/487, 122/451.1, 606/67, 165/157
• US Class Current: 376/211
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/12 by adjustment of the reactor in response only to changes in engine demand
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

A method is provided for determining and controlling feed water level in a steam generator of a nuclear power plant, whereby the water level sensor is calibrated in terms of the pressure drop across structural components in the feed water path. The water level differential pressure sensor is calibrated so that maximum water level is indicated as the level corresponding to the upper tap level plus the pressure drop across the foregoing structural components at maximum power plant power.

Claims

1. In a nuclear power plant, a method of controlling a steam generator feed water level, wherein a steam generator has an upper level tap corresponding to an upper level, a lower level tap corresponding to a lower level, the upper level tap and the lower level tap having a span there between, a maximum permissible feed water level positioned between said lower level and upper level taps, a structural component between the upper level tap and the lower level tap within the steam generator, and level sensor means for indicating water level between a first range limit and a second range limit, said sensor means being connected to at least said lower level tap comprising:

providing a measure of a delta-pressure variation at about the lower level tap attributable to the structural component;

calculating a measure of full feed water level as the upper level plus said measure of the delta-pressure variation;

calibrating said level sensor means to provide an output at said first limit corresponding to an input thereto representative of said measure of full feed water level; and

controlling said feed water level when said sensor means indicates that said high level setpoint has been reached.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said sensor means senses differential pressure and has inputs connected to said lower and upper taps, respectively, and comprising calculating the differential pressure for water level at said lower tap and calibrating said level sensor means to provide an output at said second range limit corresponding to water level at said lower tap.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said measure of the delta-pressure variation attributable to the structural component is the pressure variation experienced at maximum power of the nuclear power plant.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

calculating a measure of velocity head at or about the lower level tap; and

calculating the measure of full feed water level as the upper level plus said measure of the delta-pressure variation, less the measure of velocity head.