Determination of Optimum Fuel Loadings in Pressurized Water Reactors Using Dynamic Programming

Abstract

An iterative approach was adopted as the most practical method to search for an optimum fuel loading pattern in pressurized water reactors. A minimum peak-to-average power ratio was chosen as the objective characteristic of the optimum loading.

A computer program SHUFLE employs a set of logical shuffling statements which utilizes the radial power shape and reactivity positioning of each iteration to predict a shuffle for the succeeding iteration. Independent logic is employed for different sections of the core and for fuel of relatively high and low reactivity. A two-dimensional simulated two-group coarse-mesh diffusion theory model is utilized to calculate the two-dimensional power distribution after each shuffle.

The shuffling logic employed in SHUFLE was demonstrated adequate to predict acceptable loading patterns for initial, equilibrium, and nonequilibrium pressurized water reactor cores.