Load-Frequency Control With Multimodule Small Modular Reactor Configuration: Modeling and Dynamic Analysis

A small modular reactor (SMR) offers a promising means to produce carbon-free power. Many SMR designs are intended for multiple module operation, whereby several units are operated as a single plant. As such, the output from the plant can be increased or decreased via regulating the individual units. In order to benefit from such operational flexibility, individual units must be properly controlled, as there are direct and indirect couplings among their dynamics. This research examines such a situation and analyzes the dynamic behavior of a group of pressurized water reactor-type SMRs in an islanded power system under the load-frequency control framework. The detailed models of the SMRs and the associated components and subsystems are developed, and effective control systems are designed to investigate the performance of this multimodule topology in supplying uninterrupted power to the loads under different operating scenarios. The performance of the system is evaluated through simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC using a benchmark 9-bus power system.