On the stability of fractional neutron point kinetics (FNPK)

The aim of this work is investigate the stability of fractional neutron point kinetics (FNPK). The method applied in this work considers the stability of FNPK as a linear fractional differential equation by transforming the s-plane to the W-plane. The FNPK equations is an approximation of the dynamics of the reactor that includes three new terms related to fractional derivatives, which are explored in this work with an aim to understand their effect in the system stability. Theoretical study of reactor dynamical systems plays a significant role in understanding the behavior of neutron density, which is important in the analysis of reactor safety. The fractional relaxation time (tau(alpha)) for values of fractional-order derivative (alpha) were analyzed, and the minimum absolute phase was obtained in order to establish the stability of the system. The results show that nuclear reactor stability with FNPK is a function of the fractional relaxation time. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.