Optimized automatic reload programs for PWR's using the Haling power distribution

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6630293

Suh, J S

The objective of the reload core design is to achieve the maximum cycle length with the given fuel assemblies while satisfying the safety constraints. The optimization of the reload core design is effected in four stages: (1) Use a linear programming method to find an optimum k{proportional to} distribution at BOC which yields maximum K{sub eff} at EOC when depleted by the Haling power distribution. Fuel assemblies are then loaded into the core using the optimum BOG k{proportional to} distribution as a guide. (2) Compute the optimum BP distribution at BOG which produces the Haling power distribution. The optimum BP distribution is expressed as equivalent ppmb, and then BC w/o of the actual burnable poison rod assemblies (BPRA's) are obtained from the BPRA depletion correlation. (3) Analyze the optimum design using the standard depletion technique. (4) Compute the fuel cycle cost in mills per kwh using the cost and exposure data of each fuel batch. A computer program package is developed to implement the method developed in this study, and is applied to the TMI-1 cycles 5 and 6 to verify the feasibility of the method. The result has shown that an optimum loading pattern for maximum cycle length is a low leakage core. Compared with the TMI-1 loading patterns, the optimization has yielded an increase in cycle length by 12 EFPD's in cycle 6, and 41 EFPD''s plus savings of about 3 million dollars in fuel cost in cycle 5. The reason for the greater improvement in cycle 5 is that the cycle 5 loading pattern was a high leakage core and the optimum design is a low leakage core. The computer CPU time required for computing one reload core design is approximately 400 seconds on the IBM-3090.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6630293
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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