Title: Analysis of fuel performance for VVER-1000 reactor using FRAPCON code

Authors: Navid Taheranpour; Saeed Talebi

Addresses: Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), 424 Hafez Avenue, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), 424 Hafez Avenue, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: The interaction between radiation and matter provides profound changes in material properties. Therefore, surveying and estimating changes in fuel properties and structural materials during the radiation exposure has paramount importance. Recently, in order to improve the efficiency of LWR, the fuel burn-up rate is increased. Increasing the fuel burn-up causes a rise in thermal and mechanical stresses in the high-radiation environment during reactor's operation; therefore, it is essential for fuel designer to have a thorough assessment of the behaviour of fuel rods during the reactor's operation. In this study, main fuel performance parameters are calculated for a VVER-1000 type reactor using FRAPCON-3.5 code under steady-state conditions and the results are compared with the requirements and acceptable criteria from valid references. Furthermore, constraints on design and safety of VVER reactors are discussed from the perspective of fuel performance.

Keywords: fuel performance; FRAPCON; VVER; PCI; PCMI.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2017.090656

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2017 Vol.11 No.4, pp.309 - 328

Received: 29 May 2017
Accepted: 26 Jan 2018
Published online: 25 Mar 2018 *

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