Optimisation of gas-cooled reactors with the aid of mathematical computers

摘要

Reactor optimization is the task of finding the combination of values of the independent variables in a reactor design producing the lowest cost of electricity. In a gas-cooled reactor the number of independent variables is particularly large and the optimization process is, therefore, laborious. The present note describes a procedure for performing the entire optimization procedure with the aid of a mathematical computer in a single operation, thus saving time for the design staff.nDetailed equations and numerical constants are proposed for the thermal and cost relations involved. The reactor physics equations, on the other hand are merely stated as general functions of the relevant variables. The task of expressing these functions as detailed equations will be covered by separate documents prepared by the reactor physics department.