UN 0501 Nuclear Fuel Management

2016 Version

Prerequisite:  Registration in the UNENE M.Eng. or UNENE Diploma Program

Distance Education:

• If you will be participating in the course using distance education please inform the instructor by email prior to the course commencing. Access to UN501 via distance ed course will be through Blackboard Collaborate

Course Description:

Topics covered include: Uranium mining and processing for use in nuclear reactors, uranium tails and mass of natural uranium required for enrichment to various levels, reactivity curve of fuel and its importance, the refuelling process in CANDU, design and capabilities of the fuelling machine, significance of flux/power shape in reactor, how and why to flatten the flux distribution (adjuster rods, differential fuelling), time-average, snapshot, and core-follow models for CANDU reactors, PWR fuel management. Significant hands-on projects for CANDU reactors, with full-core diffusion codes and models. Carrying out actual core-follow calculations in CANDU and selection of channels for refuelling.

Course Administration

This is a course on in-core fuel management in nuclear reactors.  It covers all aspects of the use of nuclear fuel in CANDU reactors, with comparison to fuel management in light-water reactors.  The course includes full-core calculations in realistic CANDU models.  Topics covered include

• Review of nuclear reactions in fuel and their significance, and of the basic concepts of irradiation (fluence), fuel burnup, and fuel isotopic changes
• Uranium mining and processing for use in nuclear reactors
• Uranium tails, understanding of mass of natural uranium required for enrichment to various levels
• Reactivity curve of fuel and its importance
• The CANDU Fuelling Machine
• The refuelling process in CANDU, design and capabilities of the fuelling machine
• Significance of flux/power shape in reactor
• How to control flux shape, how and why to flatten the flux distribution (adjuster rods, differential fuelling)
• Time-average, snapshot, and core-follow models for CANDU reactors
• PWR Fuel Management
• Actual quantitative assignments
• Significant hands-on projects for CANDU reactors, with full-core diffusion codes and models
• Carrying out actual core-follow calculations in CANDU and selection of channels for refuelling

Textbook:

“The Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Analysis and Management”, by Robert G. Cochran & Nicholas Tsoulfanidis, 2nd Edition, ISBN: 0-89448-451-6

Assignments/Projects:

There will be a number of assignments and major projects (to be done by computer).

Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated on assignments, at least 2 major projects, and a short Final Quiz.