EXTENDED BURNUP FUEL CYCLE OPTIMIZATION FOR PRESSURIZED WATER REACTORS
Abstract
A fast, yet accurate fuel cycle analysis methodology has been developed to optimize the various options for in-core nuclear fuel management. The methodology encompasses two major parts: the multi-cycle point reactor model PUFLAC and reload pattern optimization using DSPWR. PUFLAC provides a convenient and reliable survey ability to explore the various fuel cycle scheme possibilities while DSPWR utilizes a direct search scheme to minimize the core power peaking with consideration given to local power peaking factor variation. A two-dimensional nodal code P2D used in this direct search scheme was developed for the power distribution calculations and is based on EPRI-NODE-P with very good agreement obtained. This methodology has been demonstrated by considering an extended burnup three-to-four batch transition cycle analysis using Zion Unit 1 as a reference PWR plant with realistic power peaking constraints. The four-batch scheme can yield an increase in uranium utilization of about 5 percent and a decrease in fuel cycle cost of about 7 percent. The transition from a three-to-four batch scheme can yield an overall increase in uranium utilization of 2.4 percent and a decrease in fuel cycle cost of about 4 percent. The transition fuel loading patterns optimized by DSPWR satisfy the core power peaking constraint with a 2 to 3 percent margin at beginning of cycle.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Nuclear physics
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