Optimal Refueling Pattern Search for a CANDU Reactor Using a Genetic Algorithm

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:21021086

Quang Binh, DO; Gyuhong, ROH; Hangbok, CHOI ^[1]

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1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Dukjindong 150, Yusong, Daejeon, 305-353 (Korea, Republic of)

This paper presents the results from the application of genetic algorithms to a refueling optimization of a Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor. This work aims at making a mathematical model of the refueling optimization problem including the objective function and constraints and developing a method based on genetic algorithms to solve the problem. The model of the optimization problem and the proposed method comply with the key features of the refueling strategy of the CANDU reactor which adopts an on-power refueling operation. In this study, a genetic algorithm combined with an elitism strategy was used to automatically search for the refueling patterns. The objective of the optimization was to maximize the discharge burn-up of the refueling bundles, minimize the maximum channel power, or minimize the maximum change in the zone controller unit (ZCU) water levels. A combination of these objectives was also investigated. The constraints include the discharge burn-up, maximum channel power, maximum bundle power, channel power peaking factor and the ZCU water level. A refueling pattern that represents the refueling rate and channels was coded by a one-dimensional binary chromosome, which is a string of binary numbers 0 and 1. A computer program was developed in FORTRAN 90 running on an HP 9000 workstation to conduct the search for the optimal refueling patterns for a CANDU reactor at the equilibrium state. The results showed that it was possible to apply genetic algorithms to automatically search for the refueling channels of the CANDU reactor. The optimal refueling patterns were compared with the solutions obtained from the AUTOREFUEL program and the results were consistent with each other. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 21021086
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ALGORITHMS
BURNUP
COMPUTER CODES
DEUTERIUM
DOUGLAS POINT ONTARIO REACTOR
FORTRAN
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
OPERATION
OPTIMIZATION
URANIUM
WATER