@inproceedings{dd473a6f17484e04bb6e29e7662a50b9,
title = "Demonstration of a full-core reactivity equivalence for FeCrAl enhanced accident tolerant fuel in BWRs",
abstract = "The impact of replacing Zircaloy with a candidate iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl)-enhanced accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding material was evaluated for modern 10x10 boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel bundles. Lattice physics calculations were completed with the 2D deterministic codes SCALE/TRITON and CASMO, and 3D full-core calculations were performed with the NESTLE nodal diffusion code. The primary objective was to establish fuel design parameters for FeCrAl that match the reactivity lifetime requirements of standard Zircaloy bundles. Due to the high neutron absorption of FeCrAl relative to standard Zircaloy, the FeCrAl cladding and channel box thicknesses were decreased and the enrichment of uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel was increased. To compare the neutronic effects of these fuel alterations against standard U02/Zircaloy fuel, a method based on 2D lattice physics was established to estimate excess reactivity at the completion of each reactor operating cycle using a weighted fuel batch scheme. This study is supported by a companion paper that thoroughly describes the established methodology [1]. With the cladding and channel box thicknesses halved, it was estimated that an average enrichment increase of 0.6% 235U throughout the fuel lattice would be required. Verification of this 2D reactivity method was performed with a 3D full-core parametric study. Matching the base U02/Zircaloy cycle length of 527 effective full power days (EFPD) with U02/FeCrAl required nearly the same fuel design adjustments in full-core calculations as were predicted by the lattice physics results, thus demonstrating the accuracy of the reactivity method.",
keywords = "3D, Accident Tolerant Fuel, Alternate Cladding, BWR, FeCrAl",
author = "George, {Nathan M.} and Powers, {Jeffrey J.} and Maldonado, {G. Ivan} and Andrew Worrall and Terrani, {Kurt A.}",
year = "2015",
language = "English",
series = "5th Topical Meeting on Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management, ANFM 2015: Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management V",
publisher = "American Nuclear Society",
pages = "31--39",
booktitle = "5th Topical Meeting on Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management, ANFM 2015",
note = "5th Topical Meeting on Advances in Nuclear Fuel Management, ANFM 2015 ; Conference date: 29-03-2015 Through 01-04-2015",
}