Responding to the needs of today's nuclear fuel cycle

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6912461

Kramer, F W; Keller, H W ^[1]; Bartman, T A ^[2]

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1. Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
2. Westinghouse Electric Corp., Columbia, SC (United States)

Pressurized water reactor operating requirements continue to evolve under the regulatory and economic pressures of the 1990s. Utility emphasis on reducing operating and maintenance (O M) costs, while increasing operating flexibility, has been paralleled by major changes in nuclear fuel designs and materials. Core operating cycle lengths have increased into the 18- to 24-month range, and region-average discharge burnup requirements have been extended into the 50,000+ MWd/tonne U range. Extended cycles increase fuel cycle costs by requiring larger core fraction loadings but decrease generation costs by reducing outage frequency and increasing overall capacity factors. Increased burnup enhances uranium utilization and reduces fuel cycle costs as well as lowering spent-fuel storage requirements and costs. Today's fuel designs must support longer cycles and higher burnups and address issues of plant aging and life extension, reduced personnel radiation exposure, and optimized operating strategies.

• OSTI ID: 6912461
• Report Number(s): CONF-931160--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 69
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
BURNUP
DESIGN
ECONOMICS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
MAINTENANCE
OPERATION
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR FUELING
REACTOR MAINTENANCE
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS