Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution

Matías Zilly; Kevin Pletz; Friederike Bostelmann; Alexander Aures; Kiril Velkov; Uwe Stoll

Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution

Matías Zilly, Kevin Pletz, Friederike Bostelmann, Alexander Aures, Kiril Velkov, Uwe Stoll

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fuel assembly bowing in Pressurized Water Reactors causes changes in inter-assembly gaps and therefore local changes of the fuel-to-moderator ratio. This study examines the impact of fuel assembly bowing on the local and global neutronics in terms of pin powers and 2D assembly powers, respectively. Transport calculations demonstrate that the changes in pin powers and homogenized cross-sections are independent of the fuel type, but dependent on the size of the inter-assembly gap. For example, the pin powers increase by up to 27-28% for an additional 15 mm gap. Both the Monte Carlo reference calculation as well as the GRS core simulator KMACS show that assembly powers increase by up to 3% around an additional 15 mm gap in the investigated model. While the total power remains constant, power redistributions are observed since assemblies that are not in close proximity to the bowing assembly compensate decreased fuel assembly powers occurring at locations where the inter-assembly gap closes.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018
Subtitle of host publication	Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems
Publisher	Sociedad Nuclear Mexicana, A.C.
Pages	1904-1915
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Electronic)	9781713808510
State	Published - 2018
Externally published	Yes
Event	2018 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems, PHYSOR 2018 - Cancun, Mexico Duration: Apr 22 2018 → Apr 26 2018

Publication series

Name	International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems
Volume	Part F168384-3

Conference

Conference	2018 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems, PHYSOR 2018
Country/Territory	Mexico
City	Cancun
Period	04/22/18 → 04/26/18

Funding

This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.

Keywords

Fuel assembly bowing
KMACS

Cite this

Zilly, M., Pletz, K., Bostelmann, F., Aures, A., Velkov, K., & Stoll, U. (2018). Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution. In International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems (pp. 1904-1915). (International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems; Vol. Part F168384-3). Sociedad Nuclear Mexicana, A.C..

Zilly, Matías ; Pletz, Kevin ; Bostelmann, Friederike et al. / Fuel assembly bowing : Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution. International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems. Sociedad Nuclear Mexicana, A.C., 2018. pp. 1904-1915 (International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems).

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title = "Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution",

abstract = "Fuel assembly bowing in Pressurized Water Reactors causes changes in inter-assembly gaps and therefore local changes of the fuel-to-moderator ratio. This study examines the impact of fuel assembly bowing on the local and global neutronics in terms of pin powers and 2D assembly powers, respectively. Transport calculations demonstrate that the changes in pin powers and homogenized cross-sections are independent of the fuel type, but dependent on the size of the inter-assembly gap. For example, the pin powers increase by up to 27-28\% for an additional 15 mm gap. Both the Monte Carlo reference calculation as well as the GRS core simulator KMACS show that assembly powers increase by up to 3\% around an additional 15 mm gap in the investigated model. While the total power remains constant, power redistributions are observed since assemblies that are not in close proximity to the bowing assembly compensate decreased fuel assembly powers occurring at locations where the inter-assembly gap closes.",

keywords = "Fuel assembly bowing, KMACS",

author = "Mat{\'i}as Zilly and Kevin Pletz and Friederike Bostelmann and Alexander Aures and Kiril Velkov and Uwe Stoll",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems. All rights reserved.; 2018 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems, PHYSOR 2018 ; Conference date: 22-04-2018 Through 26-04-2018",

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language = "English",

series = "International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems",

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Zilly, M, Pletz, K, Bostelmann, F, Aures, A, Velkov, K & Stoll, U 2018, Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution. in International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems. International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems, vol. Part F168384-3, Sociedad Nuclear Mexicana, A.C., pp. 1904-1915, 2018 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems, PHYSOR 2018, Cancun, Mexico, 04/22/18.

Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution. / Zilly, Matías; Pletz, Kevin; Bostelmann, Friederike et al.
International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems. Sociedad Nuclear Mexicana, A.C., 2018. p. 1904-1915 (International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems; Vol. Part F168384-3).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - Aures, Alexander

AU - Velkov, Kiril

AU - Stoll, Uwe

PY - 2018

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N2 - Fuel assembly bowing in Pressurized Water Reactors causes changes in inter-assembly gaps and therefore local changes of the fuel-to-moderator ratio. This study examines the impact of fuel assembly bowing on the local and global neutronics in terms of pin powers and 2D assembly powers, respectively. Transport calculations demonstrate that the changes in pin powers and homogenized cross-sections are independent of the fuel type, but dependent on the size of the inter-assembly gap. For example, the pin powers increase by up to 27-28% for an additional 15 mm gap. Both the Monte Carlo reference calculation as well as the GRS core simulator KMACS show that assembly powers increase by up to 3% around an additional 15 mm gap in the investigated model. While the total power remains constant, power redistributions are observed since assemblies that are not in close proximity to the bowing assembly compensate decreased fuel assembly powers occurring at locations where the inter-assembly gap closes.

AB - Fuel assembly bowing in Pressurized Water Reactors causes changes in inter-assembly gaps and therefore local changes of the fuel-to-moderator ratio. This study examines the impact of fuel assembly bowing on the local and global neutronics in terms of pin powers and 2D assembly powers, respectively. Transport calculations demonstrate that the changes in pin powers and homogenized cross-sections are independent of the fuel type, but dependent on the size of the inter-assembly gap. For example, the pin powers increase by up to 27-28% for an additional 15 mm gap. Both the Monte Carlo reference calculation as well as the GRS core simulator KMACS show that assembly powers increase by up to 3% around an additional 15 mm gap in the investigated model. While the total power remains constant, power redistributions are observed since assemblies that are not in close proximity to the bowing assembly compensate decreased fuel assembly powers occurring at locations where the inter-assembly gap closes.

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Zilly M, Pletz K, Bostelmann F, Aures A, Velkov K, Stoll U. Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution. In International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems. Sociedad Nuclear Mexicana, A.C. 2018. p. 1904-1915. (International Conference on Physics of Reactors, PHYSOR 2018: Reactor Physics Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Systems).

Fuel assembly bowing: Impact of inter-assembly gap on power distribution

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Keywords

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