Modeling and design of a reload PWR core for a 48-month fuel cycle

Conference · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:495765

McMahon, M V; Driscoll, M J; Todreas, N E ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States)

The objective of this research was to use state-of-the-art nuclear and fuel performance packages to evaluate the feasibility and costs of a 48 calendar month core in existing pressurized water reactor (PWR) designs, considering the full range of practical design and economic considerations. The driving force behind this research is the desire to make nuclear power more economically competitive with fossil fuel options by expanding the scope for achievement of higher capacity factors. Using CASMO/SIMULATE, a core design with fuel enriched to 7{sup w}/{sub o} U{sup 235} for a single batch loaded, 48-month fuel cycle has been developed. This core achieves an ultra-long cycle length without exceeding current fuel burnup limits. The design uses two different types of burnable poisons. Gadolinium in the form of gadolinium oxide (Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}) mixed with the UO{sub 2} of selected pins is sued to hold down initial reactivity and to control flux peaking throughout the life of the core. A zirconium di-boride (ZrB{sub 2}) integral fuel burnable absorber (IFBA) coating on the Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}-UO{sub 2} fuel pellets is added to reduce the critical soluble boron concentration in the reactor coolant to within acceptable limits. Fuel performance issues of concern to this design are also outlined and areas which will require further research are highlighted.

• Research Organization: Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-94ID13223
• OSTI ID: 495765
• Report Number(s): INEL/CON--97-00015; CONF-970316--2; ON: DE97052132
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BURNABLE POISONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
ECONOMICS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FUEL CYCLE
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR CORES