Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors
Includes bibliographical references (pages 238-241)
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Technical Report |
| Published: |
Cambridge, Mass. : Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy Laboratory, 1981
2014
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89537 |
| _version_ | 1826206681786220544 |
|---|---|
| author | Sefcik, Joseph A. Driscoll Michael J. Lanning David D. |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Laboratory |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Laboratory Sefcik, Joseph A. Driscoll Michael J. Lanning David D. |
| author_sort | Sefcik, Joseph A. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Includes bibliographical references (pages 238-241) |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:36:55Z |
| format | Technical Report |
| id | mit-1721.1/89537 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:36:55Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Cambridge, Mass. : Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy Laboratory, 1981 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/895372019-04-11T08:57:43Z Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors Sefcik, Joseph A. Driscoll Michael J. Lanning David D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Engineering United States. Department of Energy. Division of Energy Technology TK1001.M41 E56 no.80-032 TK9008.M41 N96 no.234 Pressurized water reactors Uranium Nuclear fuels Nuclear fuel elements Includes bibliographical references (pages 238-241) Systematic procedures have been devised and applied to evaluate core design and fuel management strategies for improving uranium utilization in Pressurized Water Reactors operated on a once-through fuel cycle. A principal objective has been the evaluation of suggested improvements on a self-consistent basis, allowing for concurrent changes in dependent variables such as core leakage and batch power histories, which might otherwise obscure the sometimes subtle effects of interest. Two levels of evaluation have been devised: a simple but accurate analytic model based on the observed linear variations in assembly reactivity as a function of burnup; and a numerical approach, embodied in a computer program, which relaxes this assumption and combines it with empirical prescriptions for assembly (or batch) power as a function of reactivity, and core leakage as a function of peripheral assembly power. State-of-the-art physics methods, such as PDQ-7, were used ! to verify and supplement these techniques.These methods have been applied to evaluate several suggested improvements: (1) axial blankets of low-enriched or depleted uranium, and of beryllium metal, (2) radial natural uranium blankets, (3) low-leakage radial fuel management, (4) high burnup fuels, (5) optimized H/U atom ratio, (6) annular fuel, and (7) mechanical spectral shift (i.e. variable fuel-to-moderator ratio) concepts such as those involving pin pulling and bundle reconstitution.The potential savings in uranium requirements compared to current practice were found to be as follows: (1) O0-3%, (2) negative, (3) 2-3%; possibly 5%, (4) "15%, (5) 0-2.5%, (6) no inherent advantage, (7) 10%. Total savings should not be assumed to be additive; and thermal/hydraulic or mechanical design restrictions may preclude full realization of some of the potential improvements. 2014-09-15T17:52:08Z 2014-09-15T17:52:08Z 1981 Technical Report http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89537 09531588 Energy Laboratory report (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Laboratory) ; no. MIT-EL 80-032 MITNE ; no. 234 241 pages application/pdf Cambridge, Mass. : Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy Laboratory, 1981 |
| spellingShingle | TK1001.M41 E56 no.80-032 TK9008.M41 N96 no.234 Pressurized water reactors Uranium Nuclear fuels Nuclear fuel elements Sefcik, Joseph A. Driscoll Michael J. Lanning David D. Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| title | Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| title_full | Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| title_short | Analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| title_sort | analysis of strategies for improving uranium utilization in pressurized water reactors |
| topic | TK1001.M41 E56 no.80-032 TK9008.M41 N96 no.234 Pressurized water reactors Uranium Nuclear fuels Nuclear fuel elements |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89537 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sefcikjosepha analysisofstrategiesforimprovinguraniumutilizationinpressurizedwaterreactors AT driscollmichaelj analysisofstrategiesforimprovinguraniumutilizationinpressurizedwaterreactors AT lanningdavidd analysisofstrategiesforimprovinguraniumutilizationinpressurizedwaterreactors |