A system and method for heat produced at a nuclear power plant as the energy source for carbon dioxide sequestration while simultaneously producing electricity. The system includes a nuclear power plant that differs significantly from conventional designs inasmuch as its design is tightly integrated into the carbon dioxide sequestration system. The system generates electricity and sequesters carbon dioxide at the same time. Instead of simply generating electricity from the nuclear reactor and then using that electricity to run a sequestration process, the method is designed to directly provide the requisite thermal energy to the sequestration process, and simultaneously power an electrical generator. Another feature of the system design is a method of optimizing load balancing between the electrical grid and carbon dioxide sequestration.

A method for controlling a pressurized water nuclear reactor is provided, including core producing thermal power, sensors for acquiring the mean temperature of the primary coolant and for calculating the thermal power, actuators for controlling the axial distribution of power, the control method including: a first control phase for controlling the reactor during normal operation by controlling the mean temperature of the primary coolant so as to make it correspond to a reference temperature profile (P.sub.ref) dependent on the thermal power of the reactor; and a second control phase, referred to as stretchout, that occurs after normal operation of the reactor in order to control the reactor in stretchout by controlling the axial distribution of power, the mean temperature varying freely in a temperature range delimited by an upper limit and a lower limit.

A method for controlling a pressurized water nuclear reactor is provided, including core producing thermal power, sensors for acquiring the mean temperature of the primary coolant and for calculating the thermal power, actuators for controlling the axial distribution of power, the control method including: a first control phase for controlling the reactor during normal operation by controlling the mean temperature of the primary coolant so as to make it correspond to a reference temperature profile (P.sub.ref) dependent on the thermal power of the reactor; and a second control phase, referred to as stretchout, that occurs after normal operation of the reactor in order to control the reactor in stretchout by controlling the axial distribution of power, the mean temperature varying freely in a temperature range delimited by an upper limit and a lower limit.

A nuclear reactor protection system includes a plurality of functionally independent modules, each of the modules configured to receive a plurality of inputs from a nuclear reactor safety system, and logically determine a safety action based at least in part on the plurality of inputs; and one or more nuclear reactor safety actuators communicably coupled to the plurality of functionally independent modules to receive the safety action determination based at least in part on the plurality of inputs.

A nuclear reactor power regulator adjusts reactor output based on a reactor output target value and a reactor output change rate. The regulator includes a reactor output calculating device that performs computation based on a thermal equilibrium from power signals of plant parameters to calculate a reactor output signal. A correcting device corrects a continuously obtained reactor output equivalent signal that is considered to be equivalent to a reactor output at a calculation interval of the output signal, so that the output equivalent signal coincides with the output signal. The correcting device calculates a continuous corrected output equivalent signal. A reactor output controlling device calculates a reactor output control signal for controlling the output of the reactor, using the corrected reactor output equivalent signal, the reactor output target value, and the reactor output change rate. A reactor output controller is operated based on the reactor output control signal.

A nuclear reactor power regulator adjusts reactor output based on a reactor output target value and a reactor output change rate. The regulator includes a reactor output calculating device that performs computation based on a thermal equilibrium from power signals of plant parameters to calculate a reactor output signal. A correcting device corrects a continuously obtained reactor output equivalent signal that is considered to be equivalent to a reactor output at a calculation interval of the output signal, so that the output equivalent signal coincides with the output signal. The correcting device calculates a continuous corrected output equivalent signal. A reactor output controlling device calculates a reactor output control signal for controlling the output of the reactor, using the corrected reactor output equivalent signal, the reactor output target value, and the reactor output change rate. A reactor output controller is operated based on the reactor output control signal.

A method of controlling a plasma in a nuclear fusion reactor. The nuclear fusion reactor comprises sensors and plasma control inputs. An initial control model is provided, relating readings of at least a subset of the sensors to control of the plasma control inputs. A control loop is performed, comprising: operating the plasma control inputs in dependence upon the sensors according to the control model; determining correlations between readings of each of the sensors, and/or between readings of the sensors and states of the plasma control inputs; and adjusting the control model based on the determined correlations.

A method of controlling a plasma in a nuclear fusion reactor. The nuclear fusion reactor comprises sensors and plasma control inputs. An initial control model is provided, relating readings of at least a subset of the sensors to control of the plasma control inputs. A control loop is performed, comprising: operating the plasma control inputs in dependence upon the sensors according to the control model; determining correlations between readings of each of the sensors, and/or between readings of the sensors and states of the plasma control inputs; and adjusting the control model based on the determined correlations.

An electro-technical device includes a circuit including a coil connected to a voltage source for receiving a predetermined current therefrom and connected to an output device. The circuit includes a breakable junction and a photodiode for receiving a light signal from a fiber optic cable. The photodiode receives a light signal from a sensor. A permanent magnet includes a pole end opposing a common pole end of the coil, wherein when the coil receives an increased current from the photodiode, the coil creates an magnetic flux that repels against the common pole of the permanent magnet in order to cause the breakable junction to break and disrupt a connection between the voltage source and the output device.

An electro-technical device includes a circuit including a coil connected to a voltage source for receiving a predetermined current therefrom and connected to an output device. The circuit includes a breakable junction and a photodiode for receiving a light signal from a fiber optic cable. The photodiode receives a light signal from a sensor. A permanent magnet includes a pole end opposing a common pole end of the coil, wherein when the coil receives an increased current from the photodiode, the coil creates an magnetic flux that repels against the common pole of the permanent magnet in order to cause the breakable junction to break and disrupt a connection between the voltage source and the output device.