ML20030A467
| ML20030A467 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Big Rock Point File:Consumers Energy icon.png |
| Issue date: | 01/18/1960 |
| From: | CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8101090582 | |
| Download: ML20030A467 (25) | |
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1 j-BIG ROCK PLANT HIGH POWER DENSITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM i
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5
PAGE
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A.
DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES 1
B.
SUMMARY
OF TASKS 14 C.
SCHEDULES 22 4
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A.
DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
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Introduction One of the most promising areas for improving the economic performance of boiling water reactors is in the direction of increasing reactor core Iower density. The realization of an increase in core power density can lead to a substantial reduction in plant capital cost; and the accompanying increase in the specific power of the fuel holds promise for a reduction in fuel cycle costs. To extend knowledge and design control over all relevant areas re-quires an integrated program, including development of a high power density core in a power reactor to demonstrate performance limits.
The General Electric - Consumers Power Co. High Power Density Reactor Development Program which is hereby proposed consists of development of effort, which is p1'anned to provide the technical basis for the design of a high power density reactor core and fuel and the test and evaluation of the core and fuel in the nuclear plant which Consumers Power Co. proposes to build at Big Rock Point, in Charlevoix County, Michigan. The development program is estimated to extend over a period of 7-1/2 years, including a 4-1/2 year test and evaluation program in the Big Rock Plant. The objectives of the pro-posed development program are:
1.
To demonstrate the feasibility of increasing the power density of oxide-fueled, boiling water reactors. The program is expected to obtain data and operating experience to permit operation of reactor cores at about M kilowatts per liter.
I 2.
To determine the effects of high power density operation upon fuel life exposure. It is expected that peak exposure of about 15,000 MWD /T could be obtained under actual high power density operating conditions.
3.
To reduce the fabrication costs of high performance fuel. Fabrication processes will be developed to produce high performance fuel elements which hold promise of reducing fabrication costs.
4.
To determine the optimum conditions for high power density operation.
Core performance studies at various power densities and pressures up to 1500 psia will be used to establish the conditions at which the lowest total energy cost is obtained in the Big Rock plant.
The development program which is proposed to meet the above objectives is summarized in the table commencing at page 18. The objectives and main tasks of each developmental area are described therein. The corresponding schedules are given in Section C commencing at page
- 22. While no dates are specified in the schedules, each major division of the schedules represents a year.
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2.
Datailsd Davalcpmant Program The development program essential to the successful and meaningful execution of the High Power Density demonstration is presented in detail in five major categories. They are Fuel Development, Nuclear Development, Plant Develop-l ment, Operational Planning, and Operational Test Coordination. The Fuel Development work is designed to establish the feasibility of high power density corea and to minimize their costs by developing improved fabrication methads.
The Nuclear and Plar Development programs aim for major contributions in the areas of stability and transient performance, physics, heat transfer and fluid flow. Inherent in the detailed program in each of these areas is a need for tests and analyses of the type which can be performed in the Big Rock Plant. Also required is coordination of the testing program in both the planning and execution stages. The Operational Planning and Test Coordination programs provide for such requirements.
I.
Fuel Development Program A fabrication development effort closely coordinated with a program of irradi-ation testing of fuels will be conducted during both the pre-operational and the post-operational development periods. During the pre-operational phase, the possibility of operating at high power densities will be determined with fuel elements fabricated with presently available processes. Also, fabrication processes which could lead to reduced fabrication costs will be developed.
After establishing the design of the initial core for the Big Rock plant, fabrica-tion development and irradiation testing of fuel made by advanced fabrication i
processes will be coptinued to provide advanced fuel elements for full-scale irradiation in the Big Rock plant core subsequent to reactor startup.
During the four and one-half year period after startup of the Big Rock plant, the reactor will be used for further evolutionary development of a high power density core and fuels which hold promise of low fabrication costs. Replace-rnent fuel made by advanced fabrication methods will be added periodically to the Big Rock plant core for irradiation testing in order to provide an evalua-tion of the results of the continuing fabrication process develcpment program.
Description of the principal phases of fuel development program is as follows:
A.
Development of High Specific Power Core The objective of this phase of the HPD fuel development program is to design and demonstrate the high power density operation of boiling water reactor fuels made by currently employed fabrication processes. The high specific power demonstration test will consist of a partial core to be inserted in Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR). About 24 fuel assemblies will be fabricated using existing processes. Straight through fuel rods with no dis-continuities along the rod length for the incorporation of spacers will be utilized. The high specific power partial core will be operated at power -
dansitino cpprcaching th so in tha h::ttast channato cf th9 Big Re.sk pihnt cora.
Specific performance values for the 24 VBWR fuel elements are expected to be:
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l.
Average core power density of about 100 kilowatts per liter.
2.
Peak fuel exposures of about 15,000 MWD /T unless failure of the fuel rods occurs earlier.
The development of this high specific power partial core consists of design, fabrication, and irradiation work.
In the design stage, engineering effort will be applied to obtain a core section which can operate at the high power densities previously specified.
In the irradiation stage, particular emphasis will be placed upon life-testing of the fuel. Following irradiation, selected fuel rods will be examined at the Vallecitos Radioactive Materials Laboratory to study their performance characteristics.
B.
Fabrication Development 1.
Pre-Operational Period a.
Fabrica!'.on Process Development It is planned to investigate improved, lower cost methods of fabrication of the g
individual fuel rods as well as methods of assembly of the rods into fuel bundles.
The current method of fuel rod fabrication consists of filling stainless steel or zircaloy tubes with UO2 Pellets. In order to load the UO2 Pellets into the fuel tube, it is necessary to provide a clearanc,e between the pellets and 'ie tube wall. For heat transfer purposes, it is desirable to hold this diametral clear-ance between the pellet and the tube wall to a minimum. In order to hold this clearance to a low value, it is necessary to fabricate the pellets and tubes to close dimensional tole rances. This results in added fabrication expense in the form of labor and materials. The fabrication process development pro-gram will investigate lower cost methods of fuel fabrication, among which -
will be the fabrication of rods by rolling and by mechanical swaging of the clad tube over UO2 Pellets or powders.
The use of the rolling or the swaging process in fuel rod fabrication offers possibilities of reductions in fabrication costs by permitting the use of tubes and pellets manufactured to more relaxed dimensional tolerances.
b.
Design Development A continuous engineering analysis effort will be conducted in order to evalu-t ate the fuel cost reductions which may be achieved through fuel design
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imprsv;manto and thr: ugh the davalopmsnt cf fabrication pracossas.
l The investigation of lower cost methods of rod fabrication will include the
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design, fabrication and irradiation testing of 12 fuel bundles. Among the assemblies to be tested will be some employing the following fabrication and design features:
(i)
Swaging of thin-walled stainless steel over 102 Pellets The neutron economy of thin-walled stainless cladding,. 010" to. 015",
compares faborably with the thicker-walled zircaloy tubing,. 02t to.930",
now used in the Dresden reactor fuel. Swaging of the cladding tube over the UO2 Pellete should permit the use of tubing fabricated to a wider manufactur-ing tolerance and thus will be lower in cost. In addition, a wider range of pellet diameters can be tolerated in the swaged rod application. This should permit the use of unground pellets, which will result in higher yields and
. lower costs in the manufacture of pellets.
(ii) Swaging of thin-walled stainless steel tubing over UO2 Powder This method aims at lower fabrication costs by permitting the direct use of UO2 Powders, thus eliminating the pelletizing step and permitting the use of lower cost stainless tubing manufactured to a wider range of dimensional tole rance s.
(iii) Swaging of zircaloy tubing over UO2 Pellets This method aims at lower fabrication costs by permitting the use of lower cost tubing manufactured to a wider range of dimensional tolerances and by permitting the use of ungmund pellets, thus resulting in higher pellet manu-facturing yields.
(iv) Swaging of zircaloy tubing over UO2 powders This inethod aims at lower fabricatien costs by permitting the use of lower cost tubing manufactured to a wider range of dimensional tolerancer and by permitting the direct use of UO2 powders.
(v) Improved methods of assembly of fuel rods into bundles The investi tion of methods of tssembly of the fuel rods into bundles will include the evaluation, development and testing of simplified methods of attachment of rods to the fuel bundle and plates and of simplified methods of providing intermediate spacing of the fuel rods in the straight through type rod fuel elem ents.
Alternate, lower cost methods of assembly of fuel rods into bundles will be incorporated into the assembly of the 12 test bundles to be irradiated in a test reactor. The methods of fabrication of each of the test bu tdles will bemried, -
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in order to test anassortment of_ rod spacer grid concepto cuch as wire grido -
- and slip cpacers.
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Direct measurement of fuel assembly. vibrations under operational flow and 4"
heating conditions has not been done bec.ause of the difficulty of attaching conventional vibration transducers within hot test sections. From hea ted
- lements, the vibration:is known to occur. The question of fatigue will be-e come more important in highe.r power density cores as a result of higher coolant flow rates and axial presst.re drops. Development work will combine analysis' of rod structural vibrations and a program of vibration measurement on fuel element models-in an out-of-pile facility. It is expected that the results can be applied by fuel element designers, c.
Irradiation Testing This phase of the program will perform the irradiation proof-testing of fuel elements in order to demonstrate long burnup and high specific power opera-tion of fuel made by processes 'which could lead to lower fabrication cost.
The program proposed for the pre-operational phase will irradiate 12 test l
fuel assemblies in a test reactor. Tests will be made of fuel rods and bundles fabricated by the processes described above.
The objective of the fuel irradiation program is to determine the high specific-power operation of fuels made by advanced fabrication processes. Irradia-tion of test fuel elements up to peak exposures of about 15,000 MWD /T is
- planne d.
l During irradiation testing, the test fuel assemblies will be removed period-ically and given visual examination to observe irradition effects.
d.
Post-Irradiation Examination Upon completion of the irradiation testing, two fuel assemblies will be
- I
. sectioned in the hot lab in order to observe and measure the effects of long burnup_ irradiation at high specific power operation.
1 It is expected that the results of the irradiation testing of the 12 test assemblies can be factored into further fabrication process development i
effort and into the design of advanced fuel. elements for irradiation in the Big
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Rock plant reactor core.
The schedule for the design and initial operation of the Big Rock plant l
reactor limits pre-operational fabrication development of the initial core fuel elements to the investigation and testing of the fuels fabricated by methods which at this time appear to offer possibilities of fabrication cost reduction.
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As tha rssults cf tha irrcdiation asting cf the 12 tast csotmblics b2como available and as the initial operation of the Big Rock plant reactor results in full-scale irradiation process development program will apply the irradiation
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results to the fabricatica of advanced fuels elements for subsequent reactor loadings.
It is expected that by the time the reactor is put into operation new fabricaticn processes and techniques, not developed at this time, may become available.
These innovations in fuel fabrication methods will be analyzed for feasibility and for effects on fabrication cost and will, if desirable, be factored into the fabrication process development program in progress.
Fabrication process development during the four and one-half year post-operational peri,od should provide a continuous improvement of fabrication methods leading to the development of a low fabrication cost fuel element by the end of the development period.
b.
Design Development The performance of the initial Big Rock plant core will be observed and evaluated during reactor startup and initial operation. In addition, since the design of the first core will have been fixed approximately one year before reactor startup, additional replacement fuel bundles representing more advanced fuel fabrication concepts will be inserted periodically for irradia-tion testing in the Big Rock plant core. During the four and one-half years post-operational period, the initial fuel will be replaced gradually by new g
fuel utilizing advanced fuel fabrication processes.
i By irradiation testing of the initial test assemblies in the VBWR and by the testing of fuel representing advanced fabrication concepts in the Big Rock plant reactor, the results of the fabiication process development program are evaluated continuously, with the objective of evolving a reliable fuel element which holds promise of yielding low fabrication cost at the end of the four and one-half year operational development period.
c.
Irradiation Testing in the Big Rock Plant Reactor The initial startup core for the rr actor will be fabricated by methods avail-able at the time of freezing of the startup core design. After reactor startups reptr. cement fuel representing me,re advanced fabrication concepts will be added to the reactor core. During operation of the reactor, the initial fuel and the advanced fuels which are added later will represent full scale irradi-
- r. tion tests of a wide range of fabrication methods. The results of these reactor irradiatiens will provide data on the feasibility of fabrication vari-ables being tested and will provide direction for further fabrication develop-ment of concepts which indicate satisfactory performance.
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d.
Port-Irredittion Ex:minations
- As the fuel elements which represent specific methods of fabrication attain significant burnup, representative assemblies of each type will be removed 4
from the Big Rock plant rea'ctor and shipped to the Vallecitos Radioactive Materials Laboratory for examination. It is anticipated that one assembly will be removed from the reactor every 6 months, starting 18 months after initial reactor operatien~
II.
Nuclear Development Program The development to be pursued in this category is intended to c..ablish nuclear performance limitations of the specific Big Rock plant design and will seek optimum plant performance from an economic as well as opera-tional viewpoint.
A.
Pre-Operational Period 1.
Stability and Transient Performance An effort will be expended in examination of the usual nuclear, thermal, and hydrodynamic stability and performance problems in relation to the Big Rock plant design. This work will utilize analytical techniques and stability test resub s currently available.
Unique stability problems are not expected in the Big Rock plant reactor.
Rather, stability questions will have to do with greater degrees of phenomena already analyzed. Stability criteria will be generated for conditions of opera-tion. Planning of the stability tests vill be conducted in the early stages of design, so that necessary equipment vill be available at plant startup.
2.
Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Operation of a reactor core at high specific power requires proof tests in the areas of burnout heat transfez, hydraulic stability, and two-@hase pressure drop. Considerable empiricrl information has been accumulated in all three areas but protptype testing is still needed for the following reasons:
(a) Burnout heat transfer is not only dependent upon the mechanism of burnout, but also upon the effect on uniformity in flow and quality which is caused by geometry and manufacturing tolerances of the fuel as semblie s.
The higher specific power of the Big Rock plant reactor will require higher heat fluxes and tighter lattices than usual, thus increasing the problems of flow and steam distribution within a fuel as sembly.
(b) The high power density of the Big Rock plant reactor will be associated with increased flows and exit steam qualities. Measurements of
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pressure drop are needed to establish and minimize the pumping horsepower..
(c) Meatursmente of oscillations of a purely hydraulic nature are needed to assist in the interpretation of in-pile etability teste. The proposed pro-operational program of prototype testing consists of the following:
I' (i)-
A prototype multirod assembly will be tested in the General Electric Heat Transfer Facility. Electrical heating will be substituted for nuclear heat generation and burnout heat transfer conditions deter-mined at various exit quality and flow conditions.
(ii)
Hydraulic stability performance of the same assembly will be determined in forced and natural circulaticn. Conditions for the onset of hpdraulic oscillations will be determined from transient measurements of flow and pressure drop.
(iii)
Pressure drop measurements will be taken at various flow and steam quality values. Both single-and two-phase flow conditions will be investigated.
B.
Post-Operation Period 1.
Stability and Transient Performance.
The greater part of the stability effort will be devoted t' erational testing and data analysis of the first core and a subsequent cot composed of replacement fuel. In addition, as test results become a#7:.ble, analytical work will be undertaken for the extrapolation of stability t...teria to a large high power density nuclear steam supply.
2.
Heat Transfer and. Fluid Flow It is important to verify the out-of-pile test results in the Big Rock plant core itself. Accurate measurements of th,e in-core flow distribution, pressure drop, and flow oscillations are essential in order to determine optimum reactor performance. These measurements will be obtained from instrumented fuel assemblies to be placed into the reactor core. The opera-tional program,-therefore, will fir'st include the designs of instrumented '
assemblies and the use of special flow and temperature instrumentation.
The program will next consist of taking flow, pressure drop, and tempera-ture measurements in the reactor core at various power levels. The se same measurements will be repeated during the performance of stability and other tests, such as flux flattening and computer trial runs, to determine opti-mum performance.
III. Plant Development The principal areas of investigation are control strength and power flatten-ing. The programs to achieve proper design and operation are as follows:
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A.
Pro-Ope rational 1.
Reactor Control Strength i
The combination of a small high power density core and long fuel exposure (up to 15,000 MWD /T} requires an unusually streng control system. It is proposed to study a number cf methods which have promise for achieving the required control. This study should include an evaluation of the adaptability of these control metheds to the larger high power density reactors. If at al'.
possible, the con + rol system used in Big Rock plant reactor should not only adequately control this reactor but serve as a development program for a promising control system in a larger core. It is planned i'n this study to take advantage of analytical and experimental results produced by the AEC Control Bod Development Program.
Analytical physics studies will be made to evaluate the relative advantage of the following methods of control:
a.
Boron Steel Cruciform Rods With and Wit hout Followers This type of control system is currently used in boiling water reactors. The feasibility of decreasing the control rod pitch or employing stronger epithermal neutron absorbing material will be investigated as a means for increasing cont ral strength, b.
Liquid Moderator Poison The use of a soluble poison in the water moderator provides a possible strong shutdown control.
The use of this type of poisoning introduces cleanup and corrosion problems in the water system and tends to increase the temperature and void coefficients in the positive direction. These effects must be considered in evaluating tlye advantages of the system.
c.
Water-Filled Control Boxes Relatively strong control rods can be designed which employ a " flux trap." This consists of a moderating region surrounded by a thermal neutron absorbing sheet. Epithermal neutrons slowed down within the rod are absorbed by the poison sheet. This type of control has been success-fully employed in test reactors such as the ETR and will be considered for the larger high power density reactors. This system would require a control rod follower to prevent excessive water flux peaks.
d.
Removable or Burnable Pcisons That fraction of the control strength which is required to compensate for fuel burnup can be achieved through the use of temporary or burnable poisons. A limited study will be made of the applicability of this type of
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control to the Big Rock plant..s
s.
Incransad Fual Ccnvarsion From a neutron economy st.indpoint, the best method for achieving reactor
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control is to increase the neutron capture in fertile material. Methods which reduce reactivity by increasing the conversion ratio will be investi-gated.
The control requirements of a power reactor can be roughly divided into three classes. These are the requirements for shutdown" control, including change in reactivity from cold to operating with xenon; control for re-activity changes caused by burnup; and control to shape power distributions.
Neutron economy and control strength per unit volume are not important in the first of these control requirements; however, they are important in the latter two. It is possible that the optimum control system will combine one type of control for reactor shutdown with a different type for the other control requirements.
2.
Power Flattening The successful achievement of high power density in a reactor requires both high performance fuel and low core hot spot factors. This task is an analy-tical evaluation of promising methods for obtaining desirable power distribu-tions and will consider the following three general methods for the control of power shape:
a.
Fuel Element Design to Minimize Axial and Local Peaking Factors t
The physics of proposed fuel designs to reduce peaking factors will be in-vestigated. Specifically, the use of hollow pellets which contain the same amount of U-235 as normal pellets but less U-238 will be considered for in-creasing the power density in the upper portion of the core which has increased void inction. More homogeneous fuel bundles and control followers which reduce. local peaking fa : tors will be evaluated.
b.
Control Rod Patterns i
The ability to flatten gross power distribution with control rods is necessary to the achievement of over-all high power density. Studies will be per-formed to investigate the estent to which this can be achieved in high power density corns. The goal to be achieved by control rod programming should be to have a minimum control strength in the core at the time of refueling, c.
Refueling Schedules The effect of refueling schedules on core power distribution will be investi-gated. An optimum refueling schedule is necessary to the achievement of maximum power in the Big Rock plant.
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' This ctudy will include a limited evaluation of refunling achsdules in larger high pnwar dansity cores.
d.
Advanced Lattices
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It is possible that improved core operating characteristics can be obtained through nonuniform core lattices. For example, a core in which a more
. closely spaced lattice is combined with a more open lattice has the potential for producing more favorable characteristics in the variation of reactivity with power. The goal in this design concept is to reduce the operating negative void coefficient and still maintain a cold negative void coefficient.
In this design it is hoped that higher average power densities caa be achieved before instability occurs. In addition, reductions in the required control strength are possible. This general core concept has a wide variety of possible design configurations. The relative advantages of these design configurations will be investigated. Core lattices will also be in-vestigated in which there are variations in fuel rod diamter. The potential exists for reductions in fuel fabrication costs in cores in which the central high power density region has smaller fuel rods than peripher *.1egions with lower power densities. The applicability of cores of this type to the Big Rock plant viill be considered.
e.
Mixed Fuels Utilization of mixed thoria-urania fuel in a reactor core offers several potential advantages over pure urania fuel in a high power density core.
4 Through the use of thorium it is possible to reduce the reactivity change with bu: nup and thus case the difficult requirements for control strength.
The use of thorium as a fertile material also has the potential for reduction in both local and gross power peaking. The economic incentive for mixed fuel in high power density cores will be analytically investigated in this program.
This study should include an evaluation of"the methods by which these systems can be investigated in the Big Rock plant reactor operation.
3.
Computer Scheduling of Control for Obtaining Optimum Cost Pre-operation development in reactor performance will concentrate efforts upon an area of considerable importance to the advancement of boiling water power plants that has received little or no attention to date. This is the development of computer scheduling of control of the reactor for purposes of load following and reduction of fuel costs. This is not intended to imply automatic computer control.
The goal of this program is to achieve economic, but not automatic, opera-tion of the reactor and nuclear steam supply system. Nuclear power reactor development is not far enough along to employ completely automatic computer operation in a practical manner as is being done in conventional
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s tations. Nevertheless, considerable advantage can be gained, particularly.
in high powar dansity plants. - by calculating the control procedures to be per-formed by operators, thus determining optimum operation from a control and' economic standpoint. One aspect of reactor control is short-term stability
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and power regulation, which has received the exclusive attention of control people to date for obvious reasons of reactor safety. The second aspect is one of economics and it has won but a passing glance. As with conventional plants,' nuclear. plants can be operated in response to daily and seasonal load cycles in a way which is cheapest.. If anything, nuclear plant expenses will be found more sensitive to the manner of operation, because of the reactor's dependence upon past history, with such effects as xenon and fuel burnup.
This is all the more important in a high power density reactor due to the high I
specific power of the fuel, i.e., increased heat transfer rates and rec'uced fuel residence time in the reactor. A properly designed data-processing system and plant computer could be made to instruct the operator in such matters as the best rod configuration. The pre-operation development pro-gram for predicting computer control is to examir.: the specific reactor i
problems in relation to conventional plant control of functions which have already been investigated. It will establish computer system requirements and develop the control logic.
4.
Study of Large HPD Cores Physics scoping calculations will be made to determine the physics char-acteristics and design criteria of large high power density boiling water i
l reactors. This preliminary evaluation of a large reactor is necessary so that the Big Rock plant reactor can provide the most useful information re-quired in the development of larger high power density reactors. In this task, a study will be made of required enxichment, optimum moderator-to-fuel ratio, required control strength, and other important design I
1 pa ram ete rs.
I It will also include scoping calculations of possible Big Rock plant design oncepts which best pr ovide the required " development information. In this phase, the possibilities of nonconventional core shapes and nonuniform multiregion cores will be investigated. These concepts would not be the most logical from the standpoint of Big Rock plant design itself, but could provide increased information about the characteristics of larger reactors and subseqent high power density cores.
j The initial critical loading and start-up experiments will provide valuable physics data concerning reactivity and control strength. These results will be compared with the physics design analysis and will check the adequacy of the physics analytical model.
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Post-Operational Period 1.
Reactor Control Strength
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Instrumentation of the Big Rock plant core and appropriate test measurements
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will be carried out to verify the physics of the control scheme. Analysis of L
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2.
Power Flattening i
- n the post-cperational program, continued physics analysis of the core will
- be required. This will include current knowledge of the power distributions and the effect which proposed changes in Icading will have on both reactivity and power distributicr.. In a developmental plant of this type, it is expected that frequent fuel additions will be made to test fuel design concepts. These changes require prior analys's and a careful monitoring to insure against dangerous core hot spots.
Measurements of power distribution in the Big Rock plant reactor will pro-
- vide comparison with calculated power distributions. The extension to larger cores will be difficult because of the strong dependence of the flexibility of power shape upon core size.
Physics analysis will be performed to assist in the iniezpretation of the many experimental programs to be undertaken, including std,ility, computer control, and special fuel element tests.
3.
Ccmputer Scheduling of Control for Optimum Cost The post-operational program will imple ment the system design with plant operation data analysis and trial operations. Empirical operational and cost data will be pr;grammed into the computer as necessary.
4.
Study cf Large HPD Cores To achieve economic nuclear power by high power density core development re-requires that all the results available from this first developmental plant be applicable to advanced designs, i.e., large high power density reactors.
Such studies in the pre-operational phase are specified in order that the Big Rock plan'. reactor will be designed to be more useful in this respect.
r olicw-up in this post-operational phase will confirm which design crite. *a are most significant in gcing to larger plants and higher core power de nsitie s.
IV. Operational Planning A.
Core Performance Careful planning of the experimental program should precede the operational phase of this reactor. A study will be made to determine what information should be cbtained frcm the operating ccre; what instrumentation is required to obtain this information; and how the resulting, data can be most meaning-(
fully interpreted. This will involve planning for heat transfer and fluid 1,
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ficw tactz, cc wall ao censidornblo nttantion to cora phycies and ethsr par-tinent tscta and meacurcmants.
B.
System Perforg:Gnce and Stabili'ty Much of the effort defined in the section dealing with performance and stability is aimed at operational verification of analysis. This demands adequte preliminary study of test equipment requirements and test planning.
C.
Instrumentation Special equipment in the way of sensors, transducers, and recorders willbe required to carry out efficient and meaningful operation study. Considerable special equipment must be provided under this task.
V.
Operational Test Coordination Familiarity with the over-all development program will be established in the pre-operational period with subsequent following of the test activities.
Coordination of tests, facilities, r.nd manpower will result in more useful data in less time and at less cost B.
SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION OF TASKS UNDER THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 1.
Fuel Development Program Objectives 1.
Explore feasibility and study performance f a partial reactor core op-i erating in the VBWR at high power density and utilizing fuel elements manufactured from available fabrication I rocesses.
2.
Develop fuel elements which hold premise of reduced fuel fabrication costs and are capable of oI,eration at high power density.
3.
Conduct high performance long-term irradiations in the VBWR and in the Big Rock plant.
Pre-Operational Period i
Tasks 1.
Design and fabricate a partial core to be inserted in the VBWR (about 24 fuct assemblies utilizing available fabrication processes) to gro-vide performance data for maximum power densities that would be obtained in the hotter channels of the Big Rock plant reactor (about 100 kilowatts per liter average).
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Irre.dir.ta fual clamsnts cf this partial VBWR cora to a peak exposure of about 15,000 MWD /T or until failure of the fust rods occurs. Conduct j
post-irradiation examination on selected fuel rods.
4' 3.
Investigate swaging and other fuel fabrication processes which hold promise of reduced fabrication costs.
4.
Design and fabricate prototype fuel elements based upon processes de-veloped in (3) above which hold promise of demonstrating power densitier of about 60 kilowatts per liter average in the Big Rock plant reactor.
The number of fuel assemblies is expected to be about 12.
5.
Perform pre-irradiation nonfestructive mechanical testing of fuel elements from (4) above or segments thereof to study their mechanical and vibration performance under flow and pressure ccnditions similar to those in the Big Rock plant reactor core.
6.
Irradiate fuel elements from (4) above or segments thereof in the VBWR to a peak exposure of about 15,000 MWD /T or until fai?ure of the fuel rods occurs. Carry out post-irradiation examinations on relected fuel rods.
Post-Operational Period Tasks 1.
Continue investigation of fabrication processes which hold promise of reduced fabrication costs.
Develop replacement prototype fuel elements of advanced type which hold promise of demonstrating power densities of about 60 kilowatts t er liter average in the Big Rock pla,nt reactor. The number of replace-i ment fuel elements which will be us.ed by Big Rock plant will be based on the initial plant performance results and the requirements for iuel re placement.
3.
Irradiate in Big Rock plant reactor several of these advanced fuel assemblies or segments thereof to a peak exposure of 15,000 MWD /T (or until failure of the fuel rods occurs) and carry out post-irradiation examinations on selected fuel rods.
II.
, Nuclear Development Program Objectives Predict and measure stability of the Big Rock plant reactor at various power levels and system p essures. Determine heat transfer performance at Big Rock plant reactor core..m
Pra-Operr.tinn:1 Peri:d Tasks l.
Carry cut ananalytical study cf the Big Rock plant transfer performance and estimate reactor stability at various power levels and system pres-sures.
2.
Conduct experimental investigations of flow and heat transfer through an electrically heated mock-up of a prototype of a partial Big Rock plant fuel as sembly. Analyze burnout, pressure drop, and hydraulic stability data.
Post-Operational Period Tasks 1.
Perform reactor stability and plant transient te:m on Big Rock plant's first reactor co~e and on a subsequent core composed of replacement advanced fuel at various power levels and system pressures. Interpret results to determine optimum core performance.
2.
Provide special instrumentation for replacement prototype fuel elements to determine flow and heat transfer core performance data. Utilize test results to improve flux flattening and determine optimum core power density pe rformance.
t III. Plant Development Program Objectives Carry out studies to achieve improvements in Big Rock plant reactor per-formance by determining optimum core power, fuel burnup distribution, and f, equency of refueling.
1 Pre-Operat anal Period Tasks 1.
Investigate analytically several reactor control methods to achieve simultaneously high power density and long fuel burnup.
2.
Carry out analytical studies of several promising methods to control reactor power distribution and minimize the core hot spot fa. tor.
3.
Develop mathematical relations and prepare specifications for a com-auter to schedule the centrci rod pattern and fuel arrangement to ob-min optimum fuel cycle costs.
(.
4..
Cr,rry cut etudisa cf Inrgo high power dansity reactor coreo to establish d2 sign critaris.
(
Post-Operational Period Tasks 1.
Verify experimentally the strength of the control elements used in the Big Rock plant reactor core.
2.
Carry out measurements of powe r distribution and interpret test results to establish design basis to achieve power flattening in advanced replace-ment fuel assemblies.
3.
Procure and test computer to determine the feasibility of scheduling con-trol rod pattern and fuel arrangement to obtain optimum fuel cycle costs.
4.
Interpret test results to confirm design criteria for lart,e high power density reactors.
IV. Operation Development Program Planning and Test Coordination Objectives Plan and coordinate tests described in I, II, and III above which will be per-form ed in Big Rock pla'nt reactor.
t Tasks 1.
Carry out and coordinate planning of all operational tests described in I, II, and III above.
2.
Provide, develop, and coordinate usre of special instruments required during these tests.
3.
Provide supervision and personnel of special qualifications for carrying out tests at the Big Rock plant.
4.
Evalua'.e and modify test program as necessary.
t
(-.
r TABLE - DEVEIDIMENT PROGRAM FOR CONSUMERS MWER PROJECT Developnent Tasks Pre-Operational Period Pbst-Operational Period I.
Fuel Developnent Demonstrate feasibility of high specific Obtain perfomance characteristics power oxide fuels, utilizing e.vailable of developed fuels under actual fabrication processes. Develop and proof operating conditions and continue test high power density oxide fuels which process fabrication developnent will lead to reduced fabrication costs.
which vill lead to nduced fabri-cation costs.
A.
High Specific Power Core Developnent 1.
Design Developnent Design and fabricate high power density None fuel assemblies utilizing available 1.
fabrication processes. Arrange these assemblies (about 23) in VBWR to obtain 4
7 a core region representatiye of the highest power density to be attained in the Big Rock plant reactor.
2.
Irrad'iation Tests Irra'diate these fuel assemblies in VBWR None to a peak exposure of about 15,000 MWD /T.
3 Post-Irradiation Exsmination Irradiated fuel assemblies vill be examined at the Radioactive Materials Iaboratory.
B.
Fabrication Developnent 1.
Ebbrication Irocess Develop svaged oxide fuel assemblies.
Continue improvement f fabrica-Developnent Investigate other improved processes of tion processes and inte6 rate prog-fuel rod fabrication.
ress achieved in other developnent
-vork such as straight through rods.
m m
TABIE - DEVEIDPMENT PROGRAM FOR CONSUMERS POWER PROJECT (Cont'd)
Development Tasks Pre-Operational Period Pos'-onerational Period' 2.
Design Development Design a limited number of svaged and Design of advanced high power improved fabrication fuel assemblies density fuel assemblies to be in-to be inserted in VBWR. Mechanical serted in Big Rock plant core and vibration tests of reference fuel during normal replacement schedules.
assembly.
t 3
Irradiation Testing Irradiate a minimum number (about 12)
Irradiate reference fuel for Big of svaged and improved fabrication fuel
' Rock plant assemblies to a peak ex-assemblies in a test reactor to a peak posure of about 15,000 MWD /T.
Ir-exposure of about 15,000 MWD /T.
radiate limited number of advance high power density fuel assemblies.
b 4.
Post-Irradiation Irradiated fuel assemblies will be ex-Fuel samples from Big Rock phnt
?
Examination amined at the Radioactive Materials reactor vill be removed, sectioned, and analyzed at the Radioactive Iaboratory.
Materials Laboratory.
II.
Nuclear Development Obtain design information for specific Verify performance characteristics Big Rock plant design.
Investigate and economics of specific Big Rock methods of i= proving plant performance plant design. Continue to determine optim m cost and extrapolate to economics.
larger HPD cores.
A.
Stability and Transient Extension of available analytical tools Rod oscillation tests for Big Rock and application of available test re-plant reference core.
InvestigatioEB Performance sults to predict stability and transient of stability at pressures up to 1500 performance of specific Big Rock plant psia. Transient studies of plant response to load changes.
core.
B.
Heat Transfer and Fluid Burnout and hydraulic instability tests Determine core performance charac-Flow for Big Rock plant fuel geometry.
teristics by means of special in-strumented fuel assemblies and in-
~
core measurements.
.....-._..._.__.._.m.._
m TABLE - DEVEIDFMENT PROGRAM FOR CONSUMERS FOWER IPOJECT (Cont'd).
Developnent Tasks Pre-Operational Period Post-Operational Period -
III. Plant Developnent A.
Reactor Control Strength Develop strong control system to overcome
' Verify strength of' control system.- i combination.of small high power density
[
core and long fuel exposure of 15,000 4
MWD /T.
t B.
Power Flattening Minimize core hot. spot factors by Experiments on flux flattening, analytical investigations of different refueling, and control rod patterns,
fuel element design, control rod pat-to determine. optimum reactor.per-.
terns, refueling schedules.
'formance.
}
C.
Computer Scheduling of Feasibility study of computer scheduling.
Operational tests of computer and
~
,.g Control for Optimum The computer vill predict control rod optimum perfomance runs.
4 Cost pattern, flux distribution, fuel burnup,.
and refueling cycles, whleh yield optimum i
economics with plant operating history; Automatic computer contml of system is not' implied.
O.
Study of Large HFD Cores Develop der"'.gn cr_ ceria for large high Interpretation of Big Rock plant '
L power density cores'to permit simulation test results to confirm design of most problem areas in Big Rock plant criteria for large high power.
core.
density reectors.
IV.
Operational Planning Determine and specify operational tests.
None Plan tests and issue specifications.
i l
A.
Core Perfonnance (heat Plan tests and issue specifications.
j Transfer, Flow, and i
Physics) i 1
i i
l TABIE - DEVEIOPMDTP PROGRAM FOR CONSUMERS POWER PROJECT.(Cont'd)
Development Tasks Pre-Operational Period Post-Operational Period B.
Plant Performance and Plan test and issue specifications.
Stability C.
Instrumentation Develop and s'ecify special instru-mentation for operational tests.
V.
Operational Test Coordination Coordinate planning.
Coordinate test performance and interpretation of results.
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