methods of assessing tablet-coating interaction in a nuclear reactor core and analyzing fuel in a nuclear reactor core

摘要

METHODS OF EVALUATING PASTE-COATING INTERACTION IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE AND FUEL ANALYZE IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE. A method is provided for evaluating insert-shell (PCI) interaction in a nuclear core having a reactor protection system and a plurality of elongated fuel rods, each having fuel surrounded by a shell with a space between them. The method includes selecting a number of core parameters to analyze, evaluating the selected parameters at a plurality of state points; generate a model of a core operating space based at least in part on state points; selecting a subset or geometric locations of status points from the model, in which each of the status points of the geometric status point locations when subjected to a predetermined transient fall within the operating limits of the reactor protection system; and evaluate the geometric locations of state points for PCI in transient response. In this way, the potential for PCJ can be accurately determined without requiring that each status point for each fuel bar in the core be analyzed individually.