Developing and analyzing long-term fuel management strategies for an advanced Small Modular PWR

Abstract

In this paper, long-term fuel management (FM) strategies are introduced and analyzed for a new advanced Pressurized Light Water Reactor (PWR) type of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The FM strategies are developed to be safe and practical for implementation as much as possible. Safety performances, economy of fuel, and Quality Assurance (QA) of periodic equilibrium conditions are chosen as the main goals. Flattening power density distribution over fuel pins is the major method to ensure safety performance; also maximum energy output or permissible discharging burn up indicates economy of fuel fabrication costs. Burn up effects from BOC to EOC have been traced, studied, and highly visualized in both of transport lattice cell calculations and diffusion core calculations. Long-term characteristics are searched to gain periodical equilibrium characteristics. They are fissile changes, neutron spectrum, refueling pattern, fuel cycle length, core excess reactivity, average, and maximum burn up of discharged fuels, radial Power Peaking Factors (PPF), total PPF, radial and axial power distributions, batch effects, and enrichment effects for fine regulations. Traditional linear reactivity model have been successfully simulated and adapted via fine core and burn up calculations. Effects of high burnable neutron poison and soluble boron are analyzed. Different numbers of batches via different refueling patterns have been studied and visualized. Expert rules for large type PWRs have been influenced and well tested throughout accurate equilibrium core calculations.