SMART reactor core design optimization based on FCM fuel

Abstract

Fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) fuel is originally proposed for replacement in light water reactors (LWRs) to enhance thermal hydraulic performance and reactor safety features. However, reactor core cycle length might be degraded by the fuel replacement. In the present paper, SMART reactor core, which employs conventional UO2 fuel in its original scheme, is redesigned based on FCM fuel. Reactor core configuration is optimized for extending the reactor core cycle length. Optimization is performed using imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) in two steps. In the first step, multi-zone core configurations are investigated with the purpose of increasing effective multiplication factor. In the second step, utilizing integral burnable absorber (IBA) rods are evaluated with the object of power peaking factor reduction and flattening reactor power distribution. Finally, the ultimate target of the present study is achieved and core configuration with four zones is proposed that has potential of increasing reactor cycle time for 46 days with appropriate safe margin of power peaking factor.