Development and application of an engineering simulator for an integrated heating reactor

The integrated heating reactor is a novel design intended to meet diverse energy demands, including industrial steam supply, district heating, and seawater desalination. To address key challenges in its development—such as verifying control strategies, conducting closed-loop validation of processes, instrumentation and control (I&C), and human–machine interface systems, and ensuring the correctness and practicality of operating procedures—a dedicated engineering simulator is essential. Building on the reactor's specific design features, this study analyzes key enabling technologies, develops an engineering simulator, and uses it to verify and optimize operational control schemes. The investigation reveals an inherent inertia-induced delay in power ramping unique to fully natural-circulation reactors. By applying optimized control system, oscillations in reactor power, primary loop average temperature, and secondary loop steam pressure during ramp power change transients are effectively suppressed. The developed engineering simulator therefore serves as a powerful platform for evaluating control strategies, providing crucial support for closed-loop verification of processes and instrumentation, and refining operational procedures.