Analysis of core stability measurement data of advanced 9 x 9 fuel assembly in a BWR core

The core stability measurements were taken during the cycle-9 startup of the 1,300 MWe BWR, Kernkraftwerk Kruemmel (KKK). The core contained advanced 9 x 9 type high burn-up design reload fuel with a higher enrichment than current 8 x 8 fuel. A design feature of the advanced 9 x 9 fuel assembly (FA) is a large square water channel for enhanced neutron moderation. The measurement data as a function of core flow and power showed almost the same stability characteristics as those of the past measurement during the cycle-3 startup of the KKK core with the 8 x 8 FA. The local power range monitors (LPRM) detected neutron flux oscillations in both core-wide in-phase and half-core out-of-phase modes. The frequency-domain stability analysis using the STAIF-PK code well reproduced the measurement result that the onset of unstable operation in KKK first occurs when about half of the reactor internal pumps are operating and the other half are stopped. The stability performance of the advanced 9 x 9 FA in the core was compared with the 8 x 8 FA by a design parameter analysis with respect to thermal-hydraulic and neutronic design. It has been demonstrated by the analysis that the stability performance of the advanced 9 x 9 FA is comparable with current 8 x 8 FA. (author)