3D in-core fuel management optimization for breed-and-burn reactors

Hou, Jason; Qvist, Staffan; Kellogg, Roger L.; Greenspan, E.

doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2015.12.002

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Indeed, as shown in [2] and in Table 1 in [2], none of the simulated burning wave modes provide the necessary radiation resistance of construction materials in fuel claddings. Let us also note that recently published papers [73,74] confirmed these estimations of the radiation load on the fuel shells during the wave burning on the fast neutrons.…”

Section: Fast Twr Of the Channel Type With A Fixed Construction Partsupporting

confidence: 66%

Fast traveling-wave reactor of the channel type

Rusov

Тарасов

Vashchenko

et al. 2017

Мiждисциплiнарнi дослiдження складних систем

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The main aim of this paper is to solve the technological problems of the TWR based on the technical concept described in our priority of invention reference [1], which makes it impossible, in particular, for the fuel claddings damaging doses of fast neutrons to excess the 200 dpa limit. Thus the essence of the technical concept is to provide a given neutron flux at the fuel claddings by setting the appropriate speed of the fuel motion relative to the nuclear burning wave.The basic design of the fast uranium-plutonium nuclear traveling-wave reactor with a softened neutron spectrum is developed, which solves the problem of the radiation resistance of the fuel claddings material.

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Section: Fast Twr Of the Channel Type With A Fixed Construction Partsupporting

confidence: 66%

Fast traveling-wave reactor of the channel type

Rusov

Тарасов

Vashchenko

et al. 2017

Мiждисциплiнарнi дослiдження складних систем

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“…. , p}, β is a step size scaling factor, and the procedure to determine #» L α,γ was described in Equation 6 -Equation 11.…”

Section: Iiib3 Continuous Lévy Flightmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The literature is filled with examples of optimization algorithms designed to solve problems with either continuous, discrete, or combinatorial design vectors [1,6,7,8,9,10,11]. For many engineering problems of interest, this approach can be valid directly for limited cases with one design variable type, or made to work through mapping discrete variables onto continuous space or subsetting combinatorial variations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gnowee: A Hybrid Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithm for Constrained, Black Box, Combinatorial Mixed-Integer Design

Bevins

Slaybaugh

2018

Nuclear Technology

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This paper introduces Gnowee, a modular, Python-based, open-source hybrid metaheuristic optimization algorithm (Available from https://github.com/SlaybaughLab/Gnowee). Gnowee is designed for rapid convergence to nearly globally optimum solutions for complex, constrained nuclear engineering problems with mixed-integer and combinatorial design vectors and high-cost, noisy, discontinuous, black box objective function evaluations. Gnowee's hybrid metaheuristic framework is a new combination of a set of diverse, robust heuristics that appropriately balance diversification and intensification strategies across a wide range of optimization problems.This novel algorithm was specifically developed to optimize complex nuclear design problems; the motivating research problem was the design of material stack-ups to modify neutron energy spectra to specific targeted spectra for applications in nuclear medicine, technical nuclear forensics, nuclear physics, etc. However, there are a wider range of potential applications for this algorithm both within the nuclear community and beyond. To demonstrate Gnowee's behavior for a variety of problem types, comparisons between Gnowee and several well-established metaheuristic algorithms are made for a set of eighteen continuous, mixedinteger, and combinatorial benchmarks. These results demonstrate Gnoweee to have superior flexibility and convergence characteristics over a wide range of design spaces. We anticipate this wide range of applicability will make this algorithm desirable for many complex engineering applications.

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“…The minimum average burnup required for sustaining the B&B mode of operation is close to 20% Fissions per Initial Metal Atom (FIMA). This corresponds to a peak radiation damage on the cladding of ∼500 Displacements per Atom (DPA) (Hou et al, 2016;Heidet and Greenspan, 2012). However, the maximum radiation damage that cladding materials have been exposed to so far in a fast reactor is ∼200 DPA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved resource utilization by advanced burner reactors with breed-and-burn blankets

Zhang

Fratoni

Greenspan

2018

Progress in Nuclear Energy

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A B S T R A C TPrevious studies assessed the feasibility of designing Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) in a novel Seed-andBlanket (S&B) configuration in which a significant fraction of the core power is generated by a radial metallic thorium-fueled blanket that operates in the Breed-and-Burn (B&B) mode. The radiation damage on the cladding material in both seed and blanket does not exceed the presently acceptable constraint of 200 Displacements per Atom (DPA). This paper investigates a number of blanket fuel options other than metallic thorium fuel, including thorium dioxide fuel, thorium hydride fuel, thorium nitride Fully Ceramic Encapsulated (FCM) fuel, and Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Used Nuclear Fuel (UNF) after limited reprocessing. Since the neutron spectrum of the oxide fueled blanket is softer than that of the reference metallic thorium fueled blanket, it can discharge its fuel at an average burnup of around 110 MWd/kg versus 65 MWd/kg of the metallic thorium. The two thorium hydride fueled blankets feature an even softer neutron spectrum than the oxide fueled blanket and, therefore, a higher average discharge burnup -192 MWd/kg and 245 MWd/kg when the H-to-Th ratio is, respectively, 0.5 and 2.0. The FCM fuel is composed of SiC matrix and cladding that is expected to self-anneal the neutrons induced damage. With the assumption that the FCM fuel will indeed be proven not limited by radiation damage, its discharge burnup could be up to 482 MWd/kg. As a result, the corresponding thorium utilization is the highest of all options examined -close to 80 times the utilization of natural uranium in present Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The amount of Trans-Th isotopes accumulated in the thorium blanket per unit of generated electricity decreases as the blanket fuel is discharged at a higher burnup. Therefore, a higher discharge blanket burnup results in lower long-term radioactivity and radiotoxicity. It is also found that the 232 U/ 233 U ratio in the discharged thorium fuel is over 3 times higher in the thorium hydride than in the other blankets thus improving the thorium-hydride blanket's proliferation resistance. Softening of the blanket spectrum leads to softening of the seed spectrum region interfacing with the blanket and this enables to discharge the seed fuel at a higher average burnup. The higher discharge burnup of the seed fuel reduces the required reprocessing and fuel fabrication capacities per unit of generated electricity. The cores having softer neutron spectrum blankets also feature less positive feedback to sodium voiding and much more negative Doppler coefficient. When PWR UNF is used after limited reprocessing to fuel the blanket, the subcritical blanket driven by the excess neutrons from the seed can discharge this fuel at an average burnup of ∼120 MWd/kg. Combined with the burnup in the first stage PWRs, this two-stage energy system can achieve an accumulated uranium burnup of ∼170 MWd/kg. This increases the fuel utilization of natural uranium by a factor of three relative to oncethroug...

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3D in-core fuel management optimization for breed-and-burn reactors

Cited by 15 publications

References 26 publications

Fast traveling-wave reactor of the channel type

Fast traveling-wave reactor of the channel type

Gnowee: A Hybrid Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithm for Constrained, Black Box, Combinatorial Mixed-Integer Design

Improved resource utilization by advanced burner reactors with breed-and-burn blankets

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