Automatic loading pattern optimization tool for Loviisa VVER-440 reactors
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J. Kuopanportti
Abstract
An automatic loading pattern optimization tool called ALPOT has been developed for Loviisa VVER-440 reactors. The ALPOT code utilizes combination of three different optimization methods. The first method is the imitation of the equilibrium pattern that is the optimized pattern in case the cycle length and the operation conditions are constant and the same shuffling pattern is repeated from cycle to cycle. In practice, the algorithm imitates assemblies’ operation year distribution of the equilibrium pattern stochastically. The function of the imitation algorithm is to provide initial patterns quickly for the next optimization phase, which is performed either with the stochastic guided binary search algorithm or the deterministic burnup kernel method depending on the choice of the user. The former is a modified version of the standard binary search. The standard version goes through all possible swaps of the assemblies and chooses the best swap at each iteration round. The guided version chooses one assembly, tries to swap it with every other possible assembly and performs the best swap at each iteration round. The search is guided so that the algorithm chooses the assemblies at or near the most restrictive fuel assembly first. The kernel method creates burnup kernel functions to estimate burnup variations that are required to achieve desired changes in the power distribution of the reactor. The idea of the kernel method is first determine the optimal burnup distribution that minimizes the maximum relative assembly power using the created kernel functions and a common solver routine. Then, the burnups of the available fuel assemblies are matched with the obtained burnup distribution.
Kurzfassung
Das Tool ALPOT wurde zur automatischen Beladungsoptimierung für die Loviisa WWER-440 Reaktoren entwickelt. In ALPOT werden drei verschiedene Optimierungsmethoden verwendet. Bei der ersten Methode wird die Gleichgewichtbeladung nachgebildet. Wenn die Zykluslänge und die Betriebsbedingungen konstant sind und dasselbe Umladungsschema von Zyklus zu Zyklus wiederholt wird, dann ist die Gleichgewichtsbeladung das optimale Beladungsschema. Die Nachbildung nutzt heuristische Regeln, ist aber von Natur aus ebenso stochastisch. Mit Hilfe des Algorithmus werden schnell Anfangsbeladungen für die nächstfolgende Optimierungsphase bereitgestellt. Diese Phase wird abhängig von der Auswahl des Nutzers entweder mit einem stochastisch geführten binären Suchalgorithmus oder der deterministischen Abbrandkernmethode durchgeführt. Der verwendete binäre Suchalgorithmus basiert auf dem Standardverfahren. Dabei wird die Suche derart geführt, dass der Austausch von Brennelementen immer bei oder in der Nähe des höchstbelasteten Brennelementes startet. Die Abbrandkernmethode bestimmt Abbrandkernfunktionen, um Abbrandvariationen abzuschätzen, die notwendig sind, um die erwünschten Änderungen in der Leistungsverteilung im Reaktor zu erzielen.
References
1 Kuopanportti, J.: Development of an Automatic Loading Pattern Optimization Tool for Loviisa VVER-440 Reactors. Master's Thesis, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland, 201210.3139/124.110377Suche in Google Scholar
2 Yamamoto, A.: A Quantitative Comparison of Loading Pattern Optimization Methods for In-Core Fuel Management of PWR. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology34 (1997) 339Suche in Google Scholar
3 Kraft, D.: A Software Package for Sequential Quadratic Programming. Tech. Rep., DFVLR-FB 88-28, DLR German Aerospace Center – Institute for Flight Mechanics, Cologne, Germany, 1988Suche in Google Scholar
4 Tran, H. N.; Yamamoto, A.; Yamane, Y.: An Improved Inverse Analysis Model for Fuel Loading Pattern Optimization. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology46 (2009) 1162Suche in Google Scholar
© 2013, Carl Hanser Verlag, München
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Editorial
- Selected contributions to the XXIInd symposium of the Atomic Energy Research organization
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Fuel cycles of WWER-440: results of basic design modification
- Use of erbium as burnable poison for VVER reactors
- The estimation of the control rods absorber burn-up during the VVER-1000 operation
- The main characteristic of the evolution project SuperVVER with spectrum shift regulation
- Automatic loading pattern optimization tool for Loviisa VVER-440 reactors
- Uncertainties of the neutronic calculations at core level determined by the KARATE code system and the KIKO3D code
- The reactor dynamics code DYN3D and its trigonal-geometry nodal diffusion model
- Comparison of sensitivity and uncertainty in Gd and Er containing fuels for VVER-1000 using TSUNAMI-2D
- Contribution of the number of measured data to calculation uncertainty in the worth of VVER control rods
- A comparison of the FA's models with the detailed and simplified description in the MCU code calculations
- Account for uncertainties of control measurements in the assessment of design margin factors
- Results of precision calculations of three-dimensional power density in VVER-1000 core with feedbacks using MCU code
- CFD analysis of temperature deviations in Gd assembly heads
- Application of statistical uncertainty and sensitivity evaluations to a PWR LBLOCA analysis calculated with the code ATHLET. Part 1: uncertainty analysis
- Post test calculations of a severe accident experiment for VVER-440 reactors by the ATHLET code
- The impact on the competence on severe accidents following the Fukushima event
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Editorial
- Selected contributions to the XXIInd symposium of the Atomic Energy Research organization
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Fuel cycles of WWER-440: results of basic design modification
- Use of erbium as burnable poison for VVER reactors
- The estimation of the control rods absorber burn-up during the VVER-1000 operation
- The main characteristic of the evolution project SuperVVER with spectrum shift regulation
- Automatic loading pattern optimization tool for Loviisa VVER-440 reactors
- Uncertainties of the neutronic calculations at core level determined by the KARATE code system and the KIKO3D code
- The reactor dynamics code DYN3D and its trigonal-geometry nodal diffusion model
- Comparison of sensitivity and uncertainty in Gd and Er containing fuels for VVER-1000 using TSUNAMI-2D
- Contribution of the number of measured data to calculation uncertainty in the worth of VVER control rods
- A comparison of the FA's models with the detailed and simplified description in the MCU code calculations
- Account for uncertainties of control measurements in the assessment of design margin factors
- Results of precision calculations of three-dimensional power density in VVER-1000 core with feedbacks using MCU code
- CFD analysis of temperature deviations in Gd assembly heads
- Application of statistical uncertainty and sensitivity evaluations to a PWR LBLOCA analysis calculated with the code ATHLET. Part 1: uncertainty analysis
- Post test calculations of a severe accident experiment for VVER-440 reactors by the ATHLET code
- The impact on the competence on severe accidents following the Fukushima event
