An extended discharge burnup optimization technique using Penn State's Fuel Management Package and CASMO-3/SIMULATE-3

Abstract

This paper addresses the advantages and disadvantages of using very high fuel burnup, reinsertion, and low leakage designs in advanced fuel cycle light water reactor cores as a technique to reduce vessel fluence, and total volume of spent fuel discharged into the waste management stream. The results demonstrate how to attain practical high burnup core designs using the Penn State Fuel Management Package (PSFMP, i.e., LEOPARD, MCRAC, ADMARC, OPHAL computer codes) (Levine, 1992). The PSFMP was used to scope out fuel management strategies, that can be verified with a direct comparison between the PSFMP and CASMO-3/SIMULATE-3 (Smith, 1989) results. This paper focuses on the practical use of such advanced fuel designs to: (a) achieve very high discharge burnups, (b) produce low leakage at the periphery, (c) have 24 month cycles, and (d) maintain safety margins and peak power levels, based on using the Haling power distribution as a target (Li, 1993; Haling, 1964; Levine, 1992). Evaluations of practical and optimal extended burnup core designs, using the PSFMP, will show that very high burnup core designs are not only attainable, but are most cost-effective and beneficial to the environment in terms of waste reduction.