• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.169-174
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• 2016

This article describes a comprehensive methodology for the evaluation of the middle part of nuclear fuel cycles. Evaluation of fuel cycles is basically divided into two parts. The first comprises nuclear calculation, i.e., creation of the strategy for nuclear fuel reloading and core design calculations. The second part is the business-economic evaluation of the selected reloading strategy, which can be done either by financial analysis or economic analysis. The financial analysis incorporates the perspectives of a company while the economic analysis can be used primarily by national economists or politicians. This methodology was applied to a case study that is focused on impacts of switching from a 12-month to an 18-month fuel cycle strategy for Water-Water Energetic Reactor (VVER)-1000 reactors.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.299-309
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• 1997

The neutronic feasibility of typical Korean three-loop 900MWe class PWR core loaded with mixed oxide fuels for both annual and 18-month cycle strategies has been investigated as a means for spent fuel management. For this study, a method of determining equivalent plutonium content was developed under the equivalence concept which gives the same cycle length as uranium fuel. Optimal plutonium zoning within the MOX assembly was also designed with the aim of minimizing the peak md power. Conceptual core designs hate hen developed for equilibrium cycle with the following variations: annual and 18-month cycle, 1/3 and full MOX loading schemes, and typical and high moderation lattice. The analysis of key core physics parameters shows that in all cases considered satisfactory core designs seem to be feasible, though addition of control rod system and change in Technical Specification for soluble boron concentration are required for full MOX loading in order to meet the current design requirements.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.238-247
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• 2020

The Burnable Poison (BP) is very important for all Light Water Reactors in order to hold-down the initial excess reactivity and to control power peaking. The use of BP is even more essential as the excess reactivity increases significantly with a longer operation cycle. In this paper a feasibility study was conducted in order to investigate the benefits of a new combinational BP concept designed for 24-month cycle PWR core. The reference designs in this study are based on the two Korean fuel assemblies; 17 × 17 Westinghouse (WH) design and 16 × 16 Combustion Engineering (CE) design. A modification was done on these two designs to extend their cycle length from 18 months into 24 months. DeCART2D-MASTER code system was used to perform assembly and core calculations for both designs. A preliminary test was conducted in order to choose the best BP suitable for 24-month as a representative for single BP concept. The comparison between the results of two concepts (combinational BP concept and single BP concept) showed that the combinational BP concept can replace the single BP concept with better performance on holding down the initial excess reactivity without violating the design limitations.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 2003

The primary contributors to the total occupational radiation exposure in operating nuclear power plants are operation and maintenance activities doting refueling outages. The Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) includes a number of design improvements and plans to utilize advanced maintenance methods and robotics to minimize the annual collective dose. The major radiation exposure reduction features implemented in APR1400 are a permanent refueling pool seal, quick opening transfer tube blind flange, improved hydrogen peroxide injection at shutdown, improved permanent steam generator work platforms, and more effective temporary shielding. The estimated average annual occupational radiation exposure for APR1400 based on the reference plant experience and an engineering judgment is determined to be in the order of 0.4 man-Sv, which is well within the design goal of 1 man-Sv. The basis of this average annual occupational radiation exposure estimation is an eighteen (18) month fuel cycle with maintenance performed to steam generators and reactor coolant pumps during refueling outage. The outage duration is assumed to be 28 days. The outage work is to be performed on a 24 hour per day basis, seven (7) days a week with overlapping twelve (12) hour work shifts. The occupational radiation exposure for APR1400 is also determined by an alternate method which consists of estimating radiation exposures expected for the major activities during the refueling outage. The major outage activities that cause the majority of the total radiation exposure during refueling outage such as fuel handling, reactor coolant pump maintenance, steam generator inspection and maintenance, reactor vessel head area maintenance, decontamination, and ICI & instrumentation maintenance activities are evaluated at a task level. The calculated value using this method is in close agreement with the value of 0.4 man-Sv, that has been determined based on the experience aid engineering judgement. Therefore, with the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) advanced design features incorporated in the design, APR1400 design is to meet its design goal with sufficient margin, that is, more than a factor of two (2), if operated on art eighteen (18) month fuel cycle.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 1994

Enthalpy rise hot channel factor($F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$) is one of the most limiting constraints in determining the fuel loading pattern(LP) for PWR's. In order to enhance the LP design flexibility without any changes of not only basic fuel specifications but also Technical Specifications and Operation Procedures, we apply the enrichment zoning concept to Westinghouse designed PWR's to flatten the rod power distributions within the fuel assembly and thus to reduce $F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$. Enrichment zoning is described that each assembly consists of two different enrichment fuels ; the lower enriched fuels are located in positions which are expected to have the higher rod power and vice versa for the higher enriched fuels. As a result of unit assembly calculations to flatten the rod power distribution within the assembly, the appropriate enrichment difference is found to be 0.3~0.4w/o. Through core depletion calculations for the 18-month cycle of Kori Unit 4, the $F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$ behavior in core with the enrichment zoning concept is investigated. A comparison with the reference case without the enrichment zoning results in a reduction in $F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$ of approximately 1.5%.TEX>H/$^{N}$ of approximately 1.5%.