Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle
Originally presented as the first author's thesis, (Sc.D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1978.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Technical Report |
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
MIT Energy Laboratory
2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/31307 |
| _version_ | 1826200799722602496 |
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| author | Fujita, Edward Kei Driscoll, Michael J. Lanning, David D. |
| author_facet | Fujita, Edward Kei Driscoll, Michael J. Lanning, David D. |
| author_sort | Fujita, Edward Kei |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Originally presented as the first author's thesis, (Sc.D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1978. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:41:58Z |
| format | Technical Report |
| id | mit-1721.1/31307 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:41:58Z |
| publishDate | 2006 |
| publisher | MIT Energy Laboratory |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/313072019-04-12T07:40:34Z Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle Fujita, Edward Kei Driscoll, Michael J. Lanning, David D. Nuclear fuel elements. Pressurized water reactors. Nuclear reactors |x Mathematical models. Originally presented as the first author's thesis, (Sc.D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1978. The once-through fuel cycle has been analyzed to see if there are substantial prospects for improved uranium ore utilization in current light water reactors, with a specific focus on pressurized water reactors. The types of changes which have been examined are: (1) re-optimization of fuel pin diameter and lattice pitch, (2) Axial power shaping by enrichment gradation in fresh fuel, (3) Use of 6-batch cores with semi-annual refueling, (4) Use of 6-batch cores with annual refueling, hence greater extended (.doubled) burnup, (5) Use of radial reflector assemblies, (6) Use of internally heterogeneous cores (simple seed/blanket configurations), (7) Use of power/temperature coastdown at the end of life to extend burnup, (8) Use of metal or diluted oxide fuel, (9) Use of thorium, and (10) Use of isotopically separated low a cladding material. a State-of-the-art LWR computational methods, LEOPARD/PDQ-7/FLARE-G, were used to investigate these modifications. The most effective way found to improve uranium ore utilization is to increase the discharge burnup. Ore savings on the order of 20% can be realized if greatly extended burnup (- double that of current practice) is combined with an increase in the number of batches in the core from 3 to 6. The major conclusion of this study is that cumulative reductions in ore usage of on the order of 30% are fore- seeable relative to a current PWR operating on the once-through fuel cycle, which is comparable to that expected for the same cores operated in the recycle mode. DOE Contract no. EN-77-S-02-4570. 2006-03-06T17:53:40Z 2006-03-06T17:53:40Z 1978-08 Technical Report 04827465 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/31307 en_US MIT-EL 78-017 11277096 bytes application/pdf application/pdf MIT Energy Laboratory |
| spellingShingle | Nuclear fuel elements. Pressurized water reactors. Nuclear reactors |x Mathematical models. Fujita, Edward Kei Driscoll, Michael J. Lanning, David D. Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle |
| title | Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle |
| title_full | Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle |
| title_fullStr | Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle |
| title_short | Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle |
| title_sort | design and fuel management of pwr cores to optimize the once through fuel cycle |
| topic | Nuclear fuel elements. Pressurized water reactors. Nuclear reactors |x Mathematical models. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/31307 |
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