Development of Online Period, Power, and Reactivity Monitoring System Based on FPGA for Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor

The Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR), Vietnam’s primary nuclear research facility, requires modernized instrumentation to support its expanding role in radioisotope production and scientific research. This work presents a novel, independent field-programmable gate array (FPGA)–based real-time monitoring system to complement the existing ASUZ-14 R control and protection system—which uses six separate calculation units to process signals from three independent detector assemblies. The proposed system demonstrates significant improvements in computational speed, critical for the DNRR’s frequent operational transients. Implemented on a single Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA board, this solution consolidates the computation of all critical parameters (period, power, and reactivity) for all three detector channels into one unified board. The system performs simultaneous real-time sampling of neutron flux signals, applies digital filtering, and executes reactor point kinetics equations. Experimental validation at the DNRR confirms comparable accuracy and superior response time compared to the existing monitoring feature. This integrated architecture represents a significant consolidation of hardware, replacing multiple units with a single, highly cost-effective platform. Coupled with a signal isolation unit, the FPGA board ensures complete noninterference with normal reactor operations. This work provides a valuable tool for enhancing operational awareness and contributes to the strategic diversification of instrumentation.