Design Considerations and Analysis of High Frequency Induction Heating System Feeding Simulated Nuclear Reactor Fuel Cluster

Nuclear fuel cluster utilized in nuclear reactor for fission process, undergoes wide extent of temperature and power profiles/stresses due to reason such as temperature profile during LOCA, cooling of these rods by water during heat transfer, decay heat profile just after shutting down of nuclear reactor, set-back and step-back reactor phenomenon. As during nuclear reaction due to fission reaction, observing and inspecting these nuclear fuel channel becomes a difficult task. Therefore, there arises need of replicating heating pattern on fuel channel in order to analyze the effects. Heating pattern observed on nuclear fuel channel follows a cosine heating profile. As per this, induction heating is the suitable technique for obtaining this pattern of fuel channel. Induction heating of fuel channel technique have some advantages like efficient performance, quick control action, clean heating, suitable protective measures and precise voltage/current regulation. The electrical circuit parameters observed while conducting circuit simulation supports in working out hardware design to be implemented. Depending upon desired power/temperature profile, high frequency induction heating system of suitable frequency has been configured. For obtaining heating pattern, induction coil pitch is decided. The conclusions have been highlighted. The hardware circuit development has been proposed to validate the results of circuit simulation.