Title: A nodal formulation method relating assembly power and reactivity for a boiling water reactor

Authors: Arturo Delfín-Loya; Gustavo Alonso; Edmundo Del Valle Gallegos; José Ángel González-Vargas

Addresses: Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México. ' Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México; Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Unidad Profesional “Adolfo López Mateos”, Col. Lindavista 07738, D. F., México. ' Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Unidad Profesional “Adolfo López Mateos”, Col. Lindavista 07738, D. F., México. ' Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México

Abstract: A second-order nodal method is derived for the one and a half-group version of neutron diffusion theory in X-Y geometry. Based on the linear reactivity model, two reactivity relations are developed to treat fresh and depleted loading batches as a way to account for the spatial variation of moderator properties due to the substantial fraction of steam void present as well as the effect of the control rod positioning. Based on these ideas a programme was developed to predict fuel batch burnup and fuel power sharing in a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) operating cycle. The method was tested by assessing two consecutives current BWR operating fuel cycles.

Keywords: linear reactivity models; multicycle analysis; nodal methods; boiling water reactors; BWR; neutron diffusion theory; fuel batch burnup; fuel power sharing; nuclear reactors; nuclear energy; nuclear power.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2011.043393

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2011 Vol.6 No.3, pp.177 - 189

Published online: 14 Feb 2015 *

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