Nuclear Calculational Model Used in the Design of the 900 MW(E) LWBR Scale-Up Concept (AWBA Development Program)

摘要

The nuclear model that was used for the design and analysis of the 900 MWe light water breeder reactor concept (designated as the Shippingport LWBR Scale-Up) is described in detail. It is similar to the nuclear model used to design the Shippingport LWBR. The principal difference is that, because of the size of the Scale-Up, the detailed three-dimensional (3-D) diffusion-depletion calculations have been replaced by coarse mesh two-dimensional (2-D) radial diffusion-depletion calculations wherein each core fuel component is represented by a set of flux-weighted cross sections. These cross sections are characterized by the seed elevation and the accumulated depletion and have been derived from auxiliary R-Z cell depletions. It is also shown that this simplified 2-D model can predict nuclear performance with acceptable accuracy. Beginning of life qualification has been achieved by comparing LWBR Scale-Up results from this 2-D model to those from an explicit 3-D Monte Carlo representation. (ERA citation 08:017855)