High Performance Fuel Desing for Next Generation Pressurized Water Reactors

Kazimi, Mujid S. ; Hejzlar, Pavel

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

关键词: Heat Flux;    Power Generation;    High Power Nuclear Fuel, Annular Nuclear Fuel, Advanced Pwr Fuel, High Performance Nuclear Fuel;    Economics;    Power Density;   

DOI  :  10.2172/876439
RP-ID  :  Final Report
RP-ID  :  FG07-01SF22329
RP-ID  :  876439

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The use of internally and externally cooled annular fule rods for high power density Pressurized Water Reactors is assessed. The assessment included steady state and transient thermal conditions, neutronic and fuel management requirements, mechanical vibration issues, fuel performance issues, fuel fabrication methods and econmic assessment. The investigation was donducted by a team from MIT, Westinghouse, Gamma Engineering, Framatome ANP, and AECL. The analyses led to the conclusion that raising the power density by 50% may be possible with this advanced fuel. Even at the 150% power level, the fuel temperature would be a few hundred degrees lower than the current fuel temperatre. Significant economic and safety advantages can be obtained by using this fuel in new reactors. Switching to this type of fuel for existing reactors would yield safety advantages, but the economic return is dependent on the duration of plant shutdown to accommodate higher power production. The main feasiblity issue for the high power performance appears to be the potential for uneven splitting of heat flux between the inner and outer fuel surfaces due to premature closure of the outer fuel-cladding gap. This could be overcome by using a very narrow gap for the inner fuel surface and/or the spraying of a crushable zirconium oxide film at the fuel pellet outer surface. An alternative fuel manufacturing approach using vobropacking was also investigated but appears to yield lower than desirable fuel density.