Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II

Experimentally validated void reactivity calculations were used to study the feasibility of a change in the design basis of Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant including the Large LOCA event. The use of CARA fuel element with burnable neutronic absorbers and enriched uranium is proposed instead of the ori...

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Main Authors: H. Lestani, P. Florido, J. González
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/264235
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author H. Lestani
P. Florido
J. González
author_facet H. Lestani
P. Florido
J. González
author_sort H. Lestani
collection DOAJ
description Experimentally validated void reactivity calculations were used to study the feasibility of a change in the design basis of Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant including the Large LOCA event. The use of CARA fuel element with burnable neutronic absorbers and enriched uranium is proposed instead of the original fuel. The void reactivity, refuelling costs, and power peaking factors are analysed at conceptual level to optimize the burnable neutronic absorber, the enrichment grade, and their distribution inside the fuel. This work concludes that, for the considered plant conditions, either a void reactivity coefficient granting no prompt critical excursion on Large LOCA or negative void reactivity is achievable, with advantages on refuelling cost and linear power density.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-7cd27a29e4e44eafb3d952262ee62af42025-08-20T03:35:28ZengWileyScience and Technology of Nuclear Installations1687-60751687-60832011-01-01201110.1155/2011/264235264235Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha IIH. Lestani0P. Florido1J. González2CNEA—CONICET, Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche 8400, ArgentinaFlorestan Technology, Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche 8400, ArgentinaCNEA—CONICET, Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche 8400, ArgentinaExperimentally validated void reactivity calculations were used to study the feasibility of a change in the design basis of Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant including the Large LOCA event. The use of CARA fuel element with burnable neutronic absorbers and enriched uranium is proposed instead of the original fuel. The void reactivity, refuelling costs, and power peaking factors are analysed at conceptual level to optimize the burnable neutronic absorber, the enrichment grade, and their distribution inside the fuel. This work concludes that, for the considered plant conditions, either a void reactivity coefficient granting no prompt critical excursion on Large LOCA or negative void reactivity is achievable, with advantages on refuelling cost and linear power density.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/264235
spellingShingle H. Lestani
P. Florido
J. González
Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
title Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II
title_full Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II
title_fullStr Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II
title_full_unstemmed Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II
title_short Conceptual Engineering of CARA Fuel Element with Negative Void Coefficient for Atucha II
title_sort conceptual engineering of cara fuel element with negative void coefficient for atucha ii
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/264235
work_keys_str_mv AT hlestani conceptualengineeringofcarafuelelementwithnegativevoidcoefficientforatuchaii
AT pflorido conceptualengineeringofcarafuelelementwithnegativevoidcoefficientforatuchaii
AT jgonzalez conceptualengineeringofcarafuelelementwithnegativevoidcoefficientforatuchaii