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Development of a VVER-1000 core loading pattern optimization program based on perturbation theory

Hosseini, M ; Sharif University of Technology

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2011.08.028
  3. Abstract:
  4. In-core nuclear fuel management is one of the most important concerns in the design of nuclear reactors. Two main goals in core fuel loading pattern design optimization are maximizing the core effective multiplication factor in order to extract the maximum energy, and keeping the local power peaking factor lower than a predetermined value to maintain the fuel integrity. Because of the numerous possible patterns of fuel assemblies in the reactor core, finding the best configuration is so important and challenging. Different techniques for optimization of fuel loading pattern in the reactor core have been introduced by now. In this study, a software is programmed in C# language to find an order of the fuel loading pattern of a VVER-1000 reactor core using the perturbation theory. Our optimization method is based on minimizing the radial power peaking factor. The optimization process launches by considering an initial loading pattern and the specifications of the fuel assemblies which are given as the input of the software. The results on a typical VVER-1000 reactor reveal that the method could reach to a pattern with an allowed radial power peaking factor and increases the cycle length 1.1 days, as well
  5. Keywords:
  6. Cycle length ; Effective multiplication factor ; Fuel assembly ; Fuel integrity ; Fuel loading ; Fuel management ; Loading patterns ; Nuclear fuel management ; Optimization method ; Optimization process ; Perturbation theory ; Power peaking factor ; VVER-1000 reactor ; Fuels ; Loading ; Nuclear propulsion ; Optimization ; Reactor cores ; Water cooled reactors ; Perturbation techniques
  7. Source: Annals of Nuclear Energy ; Volume 39, Issue 1 , 2012 , Pages 35-41 ; 03064549 (ISSN)
  8. URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306454911003665