Modified fuel assembly design for pressurized water reactors with improved fuel utilization

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5386612

Galperin, A; Ronen, Y

A method for reactivity control through variation of the moderator content in the reactor core was proposed. The main idea is to adjust the amount of water in the core from a low value at beginning of cycle to a high value at end of cycle, so as to compensate for fissile material burnup and buildup of fission products. The possible implementation of this idea may be carried out by introducing a number of hollow tubes into the fuel assembly between the fuel rods. Then variation of the moderator content in the core may be managed through a change of the water level in these tubes. cated a potential savings in the fuel cycle requirements and costs. Preliminary steady-state thermal-hydraulic calculations indicate the possibility of implementing the proposed method in the existing pressurized water reactor plants. Feasibility of the proposed design may be finally established after rigorous thermal hydraulics as well as safety analysis calculations. Furthermore, there is need to elaborate the mechanical design of the pressure vessel internals together with cost benefit analysis.

• Research Organization: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Nuclear Engineering, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84 105
• OSTI ID: 5386612
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 62:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
DESIGN
PWR TYPE REACTORS
BURNUP
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL RODS
HYDRAULICS
IMPLEMENTATION
MODERATOR-FUEL RATIO
MODERATORS
NUCLEAR REACTION ANALYSIS
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTIVITY INSERTIONS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SAFETY
THERMODYNAMICS
TUBES
WATER
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONTAINERS
FLUID MECHANICS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MECHANICS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SAFETY
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210200* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled