A new approach of spectral regulation in the pressurized water reactors using Zr rods

Abstract

The elongation of the fuel cycle period and the reactor reactivity control are crucial for all reactor suppliers. The traditional methods of boric acid, burnable absorbers, and control rods to control the reactor reactivity have their defects. A new method of the neutron spectral shift is studied to perform the reactor reactivity control and maintain the length of the fuel cycle. The neutron spectrum regulation can be achieved with different methods, including the Zr rods insertion in the fuel assemblies as water displacers. In this work, SERPENT2 version 2.1.30 was used to investigate a new fuel assembly design in the basics of Sierpinski carpet geometry to utilize the Zr rods as water displacers. The study of different fuel pitches of the Sierpinski fuel assembly is investigated to choose the reference fuel of the new design. The effect of boric acid concentration increasing and defining the maximum boric acid concentration in the Sierpinski fuel assembly are studied. The primary safety parameters of the Doppler effect and moderator temperature reactivity coefficients calculations approved the safety of the new Sierpinski fuel assembly design. The infinite multiplication factor at different steps of burnup showed the efficiency of the Sierpinski fuel assembly model to control the reactor reactivity. The average breeding factor to the burnup limit of 65 GWd/T is 0.68 in the Sierpinski fuel assembly with the presence of Zr rods.