الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Instrumentation and Control(I&C) systems of Research Reactors (RR) experience aging difficulties that necessitate optimizing operations and safety systems. Therefore, significant attention is paid to FPGA-based I&C usage, particularly in safety. This trend is due to the FPGA’s remarkable simplicity and flexible reconfigurable architectures, making it a viable option with distinct features as a digital hardware system. This work goal is to develop a prototype FPGA-Based Nuclear Module to serve as part of the nuclear Instrumentation of Egypt Second Research Reactor (ETRR-2) based on Zynq-7000 FPGA.First, the thesis focused on using a model-based design approach for FPGA customization by the Xilinx system generator tool, with embedded MATLAB/Simulink to implement the neutron flux parameters algorithm. Thus, a model of Digital Neutron Flux Monitor (DNFM) is developed to measure the neutron flux as acquired from the Compensated Ion Chamber (CIC)detector. Significant quantities of the neutron flux of the ETRR-2 operating power scale were calculated. The amounts involve the neutron flux in the logarithmic scale, the reactor power as a percentage of the full power in the linear range, and the neutron flux rate of change.The model was then effectively implemented in the hardware using the Xilinx 7-series FPGA in the Zynq-7000 evaluation kit.Primarily, model verification was performed using a current signal characterizing the CIC neutron detector. It was followed by direct verification methods using real ETRR-2’s CIC output current signal. This was done for the model in the SIMULINK environment and then verified again using the configured DNFM hardware after generating the HDL code. The FPGA-based DNFM model outcomes proved to be reliable, matched to the ETRR-2’s neutron flux measurements.Finally, the safety assessment was performed by utilizing analytical and experimental methodologies to evaluate the reliability of the DNFM. The fault injection method is applied to examine FPGA design using its vendor tool with Reliability Evaluation open-source software. Also, a similar method was applied by using the PSPICE code for ADC reliability prediction. Hence, summing-up the total system reliability is done by the Fuzzy logic tool. Results indicate that the DNFM module can be implemented safely in the ETRR-2 after obtaining the needed regulatory approval.