Core Physics and Fuel Management

Garant předmětu:

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Department of Nuclear Reactors

Synopsis:

The course is focused on inner nuclear fuel cycle of the nuclear power plants, particularly PWR used and / or planned in the Czech Republic. The first part of the course consists of introduction to the core physics, e.g. fuel changes during the cycle, burn-up, changes of keff during the cycle, xenon poisonings and xenon oscillations, samarium, etc. The second part of the course consists of NPP fuel cycle, fuel burn-up and fuel management, e.g. fuel handling, fuel management, reactor operation, burn-up, fuel loading, fuel reloading, loading pattern, legislative requirements for the core, core loading and fuel handling, fuel cycle of WWERs PWR, Fuel cycle of Dukovany & Temelín NPP, fuel cycle of western PWRs, BWR fuel cycle, CANDU fuel cycle. At the end of the course basic information about MOX fuel is mentioned. Note: Front-end & back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle of the nuclear power plants is the part of 17JPC - Nuclear fuel cycle course

Requirements:

17ZAF

Syllabus of lectures:

1. Introduction

Duration: 1 lecture

Topic:

Introduction, familiarization with the structure of lectures and seminars, graduation requirements, definitions of basic concepts, introduction to the nuclear fuel cycle, front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle, inner nuclear fuel cycle and back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle

2. Long-term reactor kinetics

Duration: 2 lectures

Topics:

Simple model of long-term reactor kinetics of the uranium-plutonium fuel cycle, fuel changes during the cycle, burn-up, and changes of keff during the cycle

Fission products, assignment of the first part of the students' seminar work, deep burn-up, long-term reactor kinetics of the thorium fuel cycle

3. Middle-term reactor kinetics

Duration: 2 lectures

Topics:

Xenon and samarium in the core during the cycle, simple model of middle-term reactor kinetics, xenon poisoning, assignment of the second part of the students' seminar work,

Xenon oscillations, cast-down operation - thermal & power reactivity coefficients at the end of cycle, burn-up absorbers

3. Linear reactivity model

Duration: 1 lecture

Topic:

Linear reactivity model, non-uniformity of power distribution in the core, neutron leakage from the core, leak reactivity, non-linear reactivity model

4. NPP fuel cycle, fuel burn-up and fuel management

Duration: 5 lectures

Topics:

Nuclear fuel cycle, inner nuclear fuel cycle, core physics, fuel handling, fuel management, reactor operation, burn-up, fuel loading, fuel reloading, loading pattern, legislative requirements for the core, core loading and fuel handling

Inner fuel cycle strategy, core modelling methods, optimization of the core loading

Computer codes for core calculation, MOBY-DICK computer code, practical use of the MOBY-DICK code for WWER-440 core calculation

Fuel cycle of WWERs PWR, Fuel cycle of Dukovany & Temelín NPP

Fuel cycle of western PWRs, BWR fuel cycle, CANDU fuel cycle

5. MOX fuel

Duration: 1 lecture

Topic:

Uranium - plutonium fuel cycle & reprocessing the spent nuclear fuel, MOX fuel, physics differences of MOX fuel, reactor operation with MOX fuel, use of MOX fuel in the world, perspective of MOX fuel in next generation of NPP

6. Students' seminar works evaluation

Duration: 1 lecture

Topic:

Students' seminar works, evaluation and discussion with the lecturer

Syllabus of tutorials:

-

Study Objective:

An overview of inner nuclear fuel cycle, core physics & fuel management of the nuclear power plants.

Application of acquired knowledge to solve problems, qualification and quantification of the effects of various physical quantities and phenomena on the operation of nuclear reactors and nuclear safety

Study materials:

Key references:

Stacey, W. M.: Nuclear Reactor Physics, Chapter 5 Nuclear Reactor Dynamics &

Chapter 6 - Fuel Burnup, WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, 2007

John R. Lamarsh: Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 3rd Ed., Prentice Hall, 2001

Recommended references:

Core Management and Fuel Handling for Nuclear Power Plants, IAEA Safety Guide, NS-G-2.5, IAEA, Vienna, 2002

Design of the Reactor Core for Nuclear Power Plants, IAEA Safety Guide, NS-G-1.12, IAEA, Vienna, 2005

Media and tools:

Computer laboratory - 2x2h, audiovisual technique, fuel cycle films on DVD

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans:

• Jaderné inženýrství - Jaderné reaktory (PS)