Highly Enriched Alternatives of VVER-440 Fuel Assembly

Miloš BAJAN1, Petr DARILEK2, 1Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, 2VUJE, Inc., Slovakia

23rd Symposium of AER on VVER Reactor Physics and Reactor Safety (2013, Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia)
Fuel management issues

Abstract

Evolution of VVER-440 fuel assembly is characterised by gradual increase of discharged fuel
burn-up and prolongation of fuel cycle. Mentioned effects can be reached effectively by fuel
enrichment raise and by parasitic absorption reduction. Both methods were used during
VVER-440 fuel assembly optimisation, described at this paper. Enrichment interval was
enlarged up to 5.95 % U235, parasitic absorption was limited by carcass frame of the assembly.
Basic characteristics of the best assembly proposals are presented and effects on equilibrium
fuel cycle of VVER-440 reactor are characterised.

Presentation / full paper