Abstract
A typical 1100 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a second unit installed at the coastal site of Pakistan. In this paper, verification analysis of reactivity control worth by means of rod cluster control assemblies (RCCAs) for startup and operational conditions of this typical nuclear power plant (CNPP) has been performed. Neutronics analysis of fresh core is carried out at beginning of life (BOL) to determine the effect of grey and black control rod clusters on the core reactivity for startup and operating conditions. The combination of WIMS/D4 and CITATION computer codes equipped with JENDL-3.3 data library is used for the first time for core physics calculations of neutronic safety parameters. The differential and integral worth of control banks is derived from the computed results. The effect of control bank clusters on core radial power distribution is studied precisely. Radial power distribution in the core is evaluated for numerous configurations of control banks fully inserted and withdrawn. The accuracy of computed results is validated against the reference values of Nuclear Design Report (NDR) of 1100 MWe typical CNPP. It has been observed that WIMS-D4/CITATION shows its capability to effectively calculate the reactor physics parameters.
Highlights
One of the most crucial tasks in controlling a nuclear reactor is to ensure its criticality
Since concentration of soluble boron significantly affects the moderator temperature coefficient at beginning of life, at very high concentration of boron, the positive moderator temperature coefficient at beginning of life is allowed to a certain limit. erefore, the negative moderator temperature coefficient is ensured during power operational condition by reducing the soluble boron concentration and burnable poison rods used in the 1st cycle
A number of analyses have been carried out to calculate integral worth of all control banks for the critical core at startup conditions. e core power distribution has been determined for some configurations of control rod banks at hot zero power (HZP). e control banks worth is calculated at beginning of cycle, hot zero power (HZP), and no xenon (NOXE) conditions for the critical core. ese results have been compared with the reference data quoted in Nuclear Design Report (NDR) for typical 1100 MWe conditions of this typical nuclear power plant (CNPP)
Summary
One of the most crucial tasks in controlling a nuclear reactor is to ensure its criticality. Erefore, the negative moderator temperature coefficient is ensured during power operational condition by reducing the soluble boron concentration and burnable poison rods used in the 1st cycle. In conventional pressurized water reactor (PWR) designs, soluble boron is used for reactivity control over core fuel cycle. E control rod reactivity worth of VVER-1000 reactor has been estimated in a PWR type reactor having 163 hexagonal fuel assemblies. Analysis of reactivity control by means of black and grey control rod clusters is presented for both the startup and operational conditions of this typical nuclear power plant. Burnable poison is used to accommodate excessive reactivity, reduce the boron concentration in the coolant in the first core, maintain the negative moderator temperature coefficient of reactivity, and obtain the uniform radial power distribution of the core. Stainless steel (AISI 316L) is used for the cladding of control material; density used for SS (AISI 316) is 7.9 g/cm
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