ML090330363

Loading Bleu Fuel in Browns Ferry, Unit 1 - Slides/Handouts - TVA

ML090330363
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	03/23/2009
From:	AREVA, Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Brown E, NRR/DORL, 415-2315
Shared Package
ML090780746	List: ML090330363 ML090330464 ML090780181
References
TAC ME0438
Download: ML090330363 (15)

Text

R VAn 161

• In 1997, the Tennessee Valley Authority agreed to take from the Department of Energy over 30 metric tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to be converted to blended, low enriched uranium (BLEU) for use as fuel.

AREVA and TVA entered into an agreement for AREVA to provide this BLEU material in ATRIUMTM-10* BWR fuel assemblies for Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3.

4AREVA and TVA modified the agreement in 2008, adding Browns Ferry Unit 1 as another unit loading BLEU fuel.

• In April 2005, TVA reached a key milestone by loading its first reload of BLEU fuel into Browns Ferry Unit 2.

" AREVA has manufactured 1238 BLEU ATRIUM-10 assemblies that have been loaded and operated at Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3.

4 The Unit 1 transition will benefit from the experience already gained transitioning at Units 2 and 3.

" A dominant characteristic of BLEU is a high U234 and, U236 content compared to commercial grade uranium (CGU).

ATRIUM is a trademark of AREVA NP

• Material Process HEU is downblended to low-enriched aqueous uranyl nitrate, then converted to uranium oxide powder.

AREVA processes this into U0 2 pellets and loads them into BWR fuel assemblies.

Off-Spec HEU Irradiate in TVA Reactors Type I Ap Solutions Irradiated Fuel I. MIN&

Savannah River I Type II H Canyon Fuel Assemblies (Purify and down I

~ Unirradiated blend to LEU)

Fuel LEUN BLEU NFS BLEU Conversion Oxide Fuel Fabrication BLEU Preparation Complex Facility Facility (AREVA) , (AREVA) I Type II (Purify and down blend to LEUN)

% Ingots Richland, WA Highly Enriched Type III Uranium Erwin, TN

• Metal HEU oxides

• Material Process HEU is downblended to low-enriched aqueous uranyl nitrate, then converted to uranium oxide powder.

AREVA processes this into U0 2 pellets and loads them into BWR fuel assemblies.

17 Tons Savannah River H Canyon Ecirwin, TN 16 Tons NFS Processing Facility Areid

e Conversion F

" Solutions Store, Downblend NEU OxlC

• Fuel Sto e EUN

~chland, WA

!Pelletize

• e,Pelletize UO, Irradiated in TVA Reactors

4Material Characteristics BLEU material meets the CGU specification with the exception of the isotopes U232, U 2 3 4 , and U 2 36.

Characteristics of Blended, Low-Enriched Uranium (BLEU)

Commercial Blended, Parameter Grade Low-Enriched CoIInUnt Uranium Uranium (CGU) (BLEU)

Within fuel fabrication Chemically Same as CGU process isotopes are inseparable from BLEU feed.

U235 Enrichment Effective Limit, wtU235 4.95 4.95 Fuel Fabrication plant limit.

234 U wt% 0.05 (ASTM 0.07 -1.4 times the ASTM (in 4.95 wt% U235 BLEU) limit) limit U2 36 wt% 0.025 (ASTM 1.5 -60 times the ASTM limit (in 4.95 wt% U235 BLEU) limit)

The impact of the U234, and U236 isotopes is to decrease reactivity due primarily to the absorption of neutrons by the U236.

In236 CGU at fuel burnups beyond 25 GWd/MTU there is a buildup of U concentrations of about one-third of those expected in BLEU.

a.

BLEU Lattice Equivalent CGU Lattice 4.24 wt% U235 Average Enrichment 3.95 wt% U235 Average Enrichment 1.20 -----------------------------------------------

1.15 ATRIUM-10 Lattice with BLEU (4.24 wt%)

N,\, ..... ATRIUM-10 Lattice with CGU (3.95 wt%)

1.10 --- ATRIUM-10 Lattice with CGU (4.24 wt%)

I N

N 1.05 Ný N 14.24 wt% Lattice with no BLEU I j i 411.00o

.* 0.95 'GU 0.90 0.85 0.80 0.75 -----------------------------------------------. - - - . .. . . .. . . ..------------------------

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Lattice Exposure, GWd/MTU CGU and BLEU ATRIUM-10 Fuel Hot Operating, Uncontrolled, 40% Voids, k-infinity versus Exposure

• AREVA analytical methods employ the NRC-approved CASMO-4/MICROBURN-B2 3-D core simulator and lattice code.

4Parallel Unit 2 Cycle 14 calculations were performed - one utilizing CGU material and one with BLEU material.

• When explicitly accounting for the higher U234/U 236 content, a comparison of key core reactivity characteristics shows that core response will not be significantly different between BLEU and CGU cores.

Kinetic Parameters Comparison Br w er 2Cce1 Caclae Cor Avrg Paaee TRUM1 ATIU -1 wi G - wtBE e E OC Doppler Reactivity Coefficient, Ak/k/ 0 F -1.3 x 10- -1.4x i0-BOG Delayed Neutron Friction, .. 0.2 eff 0.0053 0.0052 EOC Control Rod SCRAM Worth, Ak/k -0.22 -0.22 BOG Void Reactivity Coefficient,

... ... Ak'V A:%/k/i< VO.

F

-0 "l__l-0.10

Browns Ferry Units 213 Transitioned to AREVA ATRIUM-10 BWR Fuel Design Key Core Design Parameters Reactr-Brwns Ferry Reactor-Browns erry 764 Assemblies BWR/4, D-Lattice, Planned 120% uprates 2/3 345 AmWi, 3458 MWt, 511tokW/1 3952 MWt, 58.5 kW/1 Fuel type/co-resident ATRIUM- 10 BLEU fuel GE- 13/-14 Loading Strategy Scatter load Cycle Length, months 24 Browns Ferry Unit I to Transition to AREVA ATRIUM-10 BWR Fuel Design Key Core Design Parameters Reactor-Browns Ferry BWR/4, D-Lattice, Same as planned uprates Unit 1 at Units 2 and 3 3952 MWt, 58.5 kW/l Fuel type/co-resident ATRIUM-10 BLEU Same as Units 2/3 fuel GE- 13/-14 experience Same as Units 2/3 Loading Strategy Scatter load experience experience Same as Units 2/3 Cycle Length, months 24 experience experience

LI BLEU Operating Experience-- Cycles Completed Unt3Uit2Ui Paramete Cycle Length, EFPD 699 (2,417) 669 (2,312) 694 (2,400)

(GWd)

Reload Fuel Type ATRIUM-10 ATRIUM-10 ATRIUM-10 Fuel Material Type CGU BLEU BLEU Batch Average 3.82 3.92 4.17 Enrichment, % U-235 Reload Batch Size 300 (39%) 280 (37%) 296 (39%)

Predicted BOC Cold Shutdown Margin, %Ak/k Measured BOC Cold Shutdown Margin, %Ak/k BLEU Operating Experience - Currently Operating Unit 2Unit Cycle Length, EFPD 779 (2,693) 652 (2,254)

(GWd)

Reload Fuel Type ATRIUM- 10 ATRIUM- 10 Fuel Material Type BLEU BLEU Batch Average 4.13 4.22 Enrichment, % U-235 Reload Batch Size 374 (49%) 288 (38%)

Predicted BOC Cold Shutdown Margin, %Ak/k Measured BOC Cold Shutdown Margin, %Ak/k

cm.6-0 ALI 1.010

+Uni2 Cycle 14- BLEU XUnit3 Cycle 13- BLEUt

+ Unit 2 Cycle 15- BLEU

-Unit3 Cycle 14-BLEU 1.005 1.000 0.995 Range ofCASMO-4/MICROBURN-B2 calculated k-effective experience 0.990 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0 Cycle Exposure (GWd/MTU)

Comparison of Calculated Browns Ferry 2/3 BLEU k-effectives with Other CASMO-4/MICROBURN-B2 Experience

0006song. AAMILL.

,qMMPw -011111P Few AdmlhL Twý-OW04MMOOMM Pre-BLEU (Cycle 13) BLEU (Cycle 14)

Browns Ferry Unit 2 Cycle 13 1076 MWd/MTU Browns Ferry Unit 2 Cycle 14 213 MWd/MTU

-Measured - - - Calculated - Measured - - Calculated 2.0 2.0 1 1.5 1.5

-1.0 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0--------------

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 1 3 5 7 9 II 13 15 17 19 21 23 Bottom Axial Node Top Bottom Axial Node Top Browns Ferry Unit 2 Cycle 13 14605 MWd/MTU Browns Ferry Unit 2 Cycle 14 8804 MWd/MTU

-Measured - - - Calculated -Measured-- - Calculated 2.0 2.0 0 1.5

• 150

.- 1.0 0.5 05 z

0.0 0.0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 1 3 5 7 9 I1 13 15 17 19 21 23 Bottom Axial Node Top Bottom Axial Node Top Browns Ferry Unit 2 Cycle 13 17276.98 MWd/MTU Browss Ferry Unit 2 Cycle 14 11590 MWd/MTU

- Measured - - - Calculated I - Measured - - Calculated 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5

.- 1.0 j0.50.5 0.5 z

0.0 0.0 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 Bottom Axial Node Top Bottom Axial Node Top

B AmKlhb an IMLAW

'w omnem BLEU (Cycle 15)

B.F.,U 2 Cy*e 15 74,AVDAST

-- ~~ ~~ -- - -- - -- - -

1.4-1.0.

1'i o 1,2 14 i. 2 i 41 1.4 2 4 0 a 12 12 14 10 10 20 22 24 B~*O Fen~UM02 Cjo 1 16713.25 MWVMW 2-M, 1.t 1.2

'U OA ao~

CS**0" C-~I..W11d1 4.0 A-".hW31 9

tfýIll 4 0 1 Op

Pre-BLEU (Cycle 12) BLEU (Cycle 13)

Browns Ferry Unit 3 Cycle 12 879 MWd/MTU Browns Ferry Unit3 Cycle 13 153MWd/MTU

-Measured --- Calculated -Measured --- Calculated 2.0 2.0 S1.5 I- 1.0 1- 1.0

• 0.5 0.5 z

0.0 ..... --- 0.0 1 3 5 7 9 I1 13 15 17 19 21 23 I 3 5 7 9 II 13 15 17 19 21 23 Bottom Axial Node Top Bottom Axial Node Top Browns Ferry Unit 3 Cycle 12 9026 MWd/MTTU Browns Ferry Unit 3 Cycle 13 2672 MWd/MTU

-Measured --- Calculated - Measured Calculated 2.0 2.0 I

S1.5 4 1.5 1- 1.0 1-1.0 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 I 3 5 7 9 II 13 15 17 19 21 23 3 5 7 9 I1 13 15 17 19 21 23 Bottom Axial Node Top Bottom Axial Node Top i....P.FentlJa S 0I010 lhO1 4fleav*GdT Browns Ferry Unit 3 Cycle 12 15583 MWd/MTU

-Measured - - - Calculated 2.0 1.4 1.5

.1 1.0 o.e 0.5 *4 0.0 3 5 7 9 I1 13 15 17 19 21 23 Bottom Axial Node Top

BLEU (Cycle 14)

A lyU n l3 Cydb 14 ZA&41MWD /rM "

rw-iu CoMA84AWrAV BIwIIs Fe"y ArM3 C" 14 58447 MWDAIT f:-Mmd 2.01 1.I.

1.8.

1.4.

1.2.

S0.6-0.2.

24 8 8 10 12 14 18 is 2 22 24 bo~m Nod. wo Can AAd Avelug

• BLEU fuel has been successfully loaded and operated in TVA's Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3.

> Each unit has completed one complete cycle of operation with BLEU fuel and is currently in the second cycle.

The transition at Unit 1 will be similar to what has already been successfully done at Units 2 and 3.

• AREVA CASMO-4/MICROBURN-B2 neutronic modeling methodology very accurately models fuel behavior of BLEU fuel

> No significant differences are seen between BLEU and non-BLEU core designs.

> Initial reactor measured data are very good and consistent with prior cycle results.

--A