DEVELOYMENT OF 5-YEAR REFUELLING CYCLE AT DUKOVANY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, CZECH REPUBLIC

摘要

In PWR fuel enrichment is permanently increased together with the content of burning absorbers with the aim to improve characteristics of burning and reduce fuel costs at the energy market. In parallel, deployment of a new generation of advanced PWR 440 fuel types implies further development of the fuel cycle of the Dukovany NPP as a more aggressive policy of fuel charges reduce fuel costs. To achieve the economic advantage offered by these new fuel types and maintain the level of safety and reliability of reactor operation the process of charge design is continuously improved together with safety assessment and introduction of advanced procedures of on line monitoring of the reactor core. In 2003 the first fuel charges with the new generation fuel were deployed in units one and two of the Dukovany NPP to burn in the reactors for five years. This change, i.e. the transition from the four- to the five-year cycle, concerns the working fuel assemblies while the regulation assemblies remain in the four-year cycle. The remaining power plant units were transferred to the five-year cycle in the years 2004 and 2005.