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Vessel fluence assessment with EFLUVE and low-fluence fuel management

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)
OSTI ID:5778958
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Electricite de France, Clamart (France)
  2. Electricite de France, Paris (France)

A software package enabling simple, quick assessment of pressurized water reactor (PWR) vessel fluence is described. The incidence of low-fluence loading patterns on vessel fluence is then discussed in the context of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel management. Electricite de France (EdF) decided to develop simple tools to assess fluence in the vessel base metal or even in the surveillance program capsules on the basis of core fission sources. EFLUVE (Evaluation of FLUence in the VEssel) is a three-dimensional code that analyzes neutron propagation inside and then outside the core by applying the straight-line attenuation method, and using only fast neutrons. The code is designed to assess the flux of neutrons > 1 MeV received on the vessel or the capsules and then calculate their fluence. Calculation result comparisons were performed with EFLUVE and the French reference code TRIPOLI 2 (which uses the three-dimensional Monte Carlo resolution method) on standard 900-MW (electric) PWR fuel management (three-batch UO{sub 2} 3.25%) and also on other fuel managements as four-batch UO{sub 2}/three-batch MOX fuel.

OSTI ID:
5778958
Report Number(s):
CONF-910603--
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 63; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English