Criticality Calculations of Fresh LEU and MOX Assemblies for Transport and Storage at the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant

Goluoglu, S.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

关键词: Criticality;    Multiplication Factors;    Slightly Enriched Uranium;    Mixed Oxide Fuels;    Spent Fuel Storage;   

DOI  :  10.2172/777704
RP-ID  :  ORNL/TM-2000/286
RP-ID  :  AC05-96OR22464
RP-ID  :  777704

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Transportation of low-enriched uranium (LEU) and mixed-oxide (MOX) assemblies to and within the VVER-1000-type Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant is investigated. Effective multiplication factors for fresh fuel assemblies on the railroad platform, fresh fuel assemblies in the fuel transportation vehicle, and fresh fuel assemblies in the spent fuel storage pool are calculated. If there is no absorber between the units, the configurations with all MOX assemblies result in higher effective multiplication factors than the configurations with all LEU assemblies when the system is dry. When the system is flooded, the configurations with all LEU assemblies result in higher effective multiplication factors. For normal operating conditions, effective multiplication factors for all configurations are below the presumed upper subcritical limit of 0.95. For an accident condition of a fully loaded fuel transportation vehicle that is flooded with low-density water (possibly from a fire suppression system), the presumed upper subcritical limit is exceeded by configurations containing LEU assemblies.