Optimal thorium-fueled CANDU nuclear reactor fuel management

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5096827

Bonin, H W; Sesonske, A

The optimization of in-core fuel management for a thorium-fueled Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) nuclear reactor was investigated by minimizing the total refueling rate at equilibrium with respect to criticality and power-peaking constraints. The computer code ASTERIX was written to solve the optimization problem, using a steepest descent technique with a moderate number of diffusion calculations required. Because of the presence of /sup 233/Pa in the fuel, the diffusion calculations are nonlinear and are solved numerically by the specially written program CALYPSO. Simulation was performed on simple models of a CANDU 600-MW reactor, with the core divided into two or four refueling zones. Results indicated that the optimization method investigated did work out well and that potential savings of up to 14% in the feed rate are possible for the self-sufficient equilibrium thorium cycle fuel, with an optimum refueling rate of 1.372 X 10/sup -4/ MgHE (heavy elements)/MWd. Sensitivity of the optimal discharge burnups to the value of the power-peaking constraint was significant.

• Research Organization: Royal Military College of Canada, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Kingston, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5096827
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 68:3; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210400* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Otherwise Moderated or Unmoderated
210802 -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Economics-- Fuel Cycle
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BURNUP
CANDU TYPE REACTORS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRITICALITY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL MANAGEMENT
HEAVY NUCLEI
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ISOTOPES
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OPTIMIZATION
PRESSURE TUBE REACTORS
PROTACTINIUM 233
PROTACTINIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
SIMULATION
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM CYCLE