Full-core fuel analysis of a soluble boron-free SMR: Pellet-cladding interaction issue and enhancing fuel safety through loading pattern design

IF 2.6 3区工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Nuclear Engineering and Technology Pub Date : 2025-05-20 DOI:10.1016/j.net.2025.103709

Chansoo Lee , Kyuseok Shim , Hyuntaek Rho , Jooil Yoon , Heejeong Jeong , Youho Lee

{"title":"Full-core fuel analysis of a soluble boron-free SMR: Pellet-cladding interaction issue and enhancing fuel safety through loading pattern design","authors":"Chansoo Lee , Kyuseok Shim , Hyuntaek Rho , Jooil Yoon , Heejeong Jeong , Youho Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.net.2025.103709","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The full-core fuel behavior of the Soluble Boron-Free (SBF) Small Modular Reactor (SMR) was analyzed and compared with conventional pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and Soluble Boron-Using (SBU) SMRs to evaluate unique pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) risks. Unlike PWRs and SBU SMRs, SBF SMRs rely on control rods for reactivity control, leading to localized power increases during late-cycle withdrawal. This significantly elevates cladding hoop stress, particularly in fuel rods near control rods, increasing PCI risks even at moderate burnups. The maximum local cladding hoop stress due to PCI in SBF SMRs exceeds that of conventional PWRs, posing new fuel safety and qualification challenges despite being SMR fuel characteristics, such as lower power density, and extended relative fuel plenum length. Comparisons with boiling water reactors (BWRs) highlight the heightened PCI risk in SBF SMRs due to differences in core design and control strategies. A fuel loading strategy that positions high-burnup rods away from lead control rod banks effectively reduces peak cladding stress. However, PCI remains a concern, particularly for long-cycle cores with LEU+ fuel. These findings emphasize the need to integrate fuel performance considerations early in SBF SMR development to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and adaptability for future LEU+ fuels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19272,"journal":{"name":"Nuclear Engineering and Technology","volume":"57 10","pages":"Article 103709"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nuclear Engineering and Technology","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573325002773","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

The full-core fuel behavior of the Soluble Boron-Free (SBF) Small Modular Reactor (SMR) was analyzed and compared with conventional pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and Soluble Boron-Using (SBU) SMRs to evaluate unique pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) risks. Unlike PWRs and SBU SMRs, SBF SMRs rely on control rods for reactivity control, leading to localized power increases during late-cycle withdrawal. This significantly elevates cladding hoop stress, particularly in fuel rods near control rods, increasing PCI risks even at moderate burnups. The maximum local cladding hoop stress due to PCI in SBF SMRs exceeds that of conventional PWRs, posing new fuel safety and qualification challenges despite being SMR fuel characteristics, such as lower power density, and extended relative fuel plenum length. Comparisons with boiling water reactors (BWRs) highlight the heightened PCI risk in SBF SMRs due to differences in core design and control strategies. A fuel loading strategy that positions high-burnup rods away from lead control rod banks effectively reduces peak cladding stress. However, PCI remains a concern, particularly for long-cycle cores with LEU+ fuel. These findings emphasize the need to integrate fuel performance considerations early in SBF SMR development to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and adaptability for future LEU+ fuels.

查看原文本刊更多论文

可溶无硼小堆全堆芯燃料分析：颗粒包层相互作用问题及通过装载模式设计提高燃料安全性

分析了无可溶性硼（SBF）小型模块化反应堆（SMR）的全堆芯燃料性能，并与传统压水堆（PWRs）和使用可溶性硼（SBU）的SMR进行了比较，以评估独特的球团包层相互作用（PCI）风险。与压水堆和SBU smr不同，SBF smr依靠控制棒进行反应性控制，导致在后期退出时局部功率增加。这大大增加了包层环向应力，特别是在靠近控制棒的燃料棒中，即使在适度燃烧时也会增加PCI风险。SBF SMR中由于PCI引起的最大局部包壳环应力超过了传统的pwr，尽管具有SMR燃料的特性，如较低的功率密度和较长的相对燃料静压室长度，但仍提出了新的燃料安全和合格挑战。与沸水堆（BWRs）相比，由于堆芯设计和控制策略的差异，SBF SMRs的PCI风险更高。将高燃耗棒置于远离铅控制棒组的燃料装载策略有效地降低了峰值包层应力。然而，PCI仍然是一个问题，特别是对于低浓铀+燃料的长周期堆芯。这些发现强调了在SBF SMR开发早期整合燃料性能考虑的必要性，以确保未来低浓铀+燃料的安全性、合规性和适应性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Nuclear Engineering and Technology 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

4.80

自引率

7.40%

发文量

431

审稿时长

3.5 months

期刊介绍： Nuclear Engineering and Technology (NET), an international journal of the Korean Nuclear Society (KNS), publishes peer-reviewed papers on original research, ideas and developments in all areas of the field of nuclear science and technology. NET bimonthly publishes original articles, reviews, and technical notes. The journal is listed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) of Thomson Reuters. NET covers all fields for peaceful utilization of nuclear energy and radiation as follows: 1) Reactor Physics 2) Thermal Hydraulics 3) Nuclear Safety 4) Nuclear I&C 5) Nuclear Physics, Fusion, and Laser Technology 6) Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Radioactive Waste Management 7) Nuclear Fuel and Reactor Materials 8) Radiation Application 9) Radiation Protection 10) Nuclear Structural Analysis and Plant Management & Maintenance 11) Nuclear Policy, Economics, and Human Resource Development