Pressurized water nuclear reactor with a fuel rod containing a nuclear fuel column enriched to a variable extent over the length of the rod

摘要

A pressurized water nuclear reactor includes a reactor core, a nuclear reactor fuel assembly disposed in the reactor core, a fuel rod disposed in the fuel assembly, and a nuclear fuel column disposed in the fuel rod being enriched to a variable extent with fissionable nuclei over the length thereof. The reactor core has an inlet for liquid water acting as coolant closest one end of the fuel rod and of the fuel assembly and an outlet for the liquid water closest to the other end of the fuel rod and of the fuel assembly. A steam generator has a primary tube connected to the inlet and the outlet. One half of the nuclear fuel column at the outlet having an average enrichment being less than the average enrichment of the other half of the fuel column, and/or the nuclear fuel column having a depletion zone with an average enrichment being less than the average enrichment over the entire length of the column. The depletion zone has two limits spaced from the end of the column closest to the outlet by distances of substantially 10% and 25% of the total length of the column.