Experimentation of a fixed in-core-based system for core limiting conditions of operation (LCO) monitoring

In order to comply with the needs of Utilities for improvements in the economic competitiveness of nuclear energy, one of the solutions proposed is to reduce the cost of the fuel cycle. To this aim, increasing the lifetime of cycles by introducing so-called 'low leakage' fuel loading patterns to the reactor is a rather promising solution. However, these loading patterns lead to an increase in the core hotspot factors and therefore to a reduction in the operating margins with respect to the core operating limits also called 'Limiting Conditions of Operations (LCO)'. For many years FRAMATOME-ANP has developed and proposed solutions aiming at increasing and therefore restoring these margins, namely: the improvement in design methods based on three-dimensional modelling of the core, on kinetic representation of transients and on neutron-thermohydraulic coupling or the improvement in the fuel with the introduction of intermediate grids. A complementary approach is to improve the core instrumentation associated with the system for monitoring the core operating margins to the LCO thresholds. The core operating limits monitoring function calls on real-time knowledge of the current power distribution in the core. If we take the French 1300 MWe units as an example, this knowledge is based on the measurement of the mean axial power distribution made by six sections neutron detectors, located outside the pressure vessel and equipped with a fast neutron filtering device. The results of this measurement are combined with pre-tabulated radial hotspot factors (Fxy), in order to calculate the total hotspot factor (FQ) of the core, the minimum Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) and, consequently, the margins with respect to the core operating limits. The limitations of a measurement made outside the vessel, and those of the 1D/2D modelling adopted, mean that these margins calculations have a high potential for improving the level of their accuracy. This is the reason why FRAMATOME-ANP has developed a new core monitoring system which is based on measurements coming from fixed in-core sensors and on a true 3D power distribution reconstruction. This new system is called P.I.M.S. or 'Process In-core Monitoring System'. After selecting the rhodium self powered neutron detectors as fixed in-core sensors, the first step of this development consisted in testing this kind of sensors in the French Golfech Unit 2 reactor (4L, 1300 MWe). The second step which is in progress presently consists in installing and testing a prototype of P.I.M.S. in the French Cattenom Unit 1 reactor (4L-1300 MWe). The present paper is dealing with the Cattenom experimentation. The paper has the following structure: Introduction; Design Principles Of P.I.M.S.; General Presentation; Mechanical design; Instrumentation and Control Architecture; Functional design; The Cattenom 1 Experimentation; General presentation; Results; Conclusion. In conclusion one underlines that the improvement in the core operating limits monitoring function allows a significant gain in margins to be achieved. These operating margin gains can be used in a practical way by the Utilities according to their own needs by increasing the power level or increasing the fuel cycle length by implementing a more demanding loading pattern or improving the operation flexibility. For Utilities, the main objective is to take an economic profit of the core margin gain provided by a new core surveillance system like P.I.M.S. that means this new system must be licensed. The P.I.M.S. design features such as the redundancy of two, the ICDA/adapter mechanical design, the electronic components used in the protection system of the French N4 units, the 3D nuclear model directly derived from the design code, the rhodium detectors largely qualified in the USA and in the French testing campaigns, will make the licensing of P.I.M.S. very easy. The presence of rhodium detectors used as fixed-in-core sensors reinforces the accuracy of the physical response of P.I.M.S by comparing with pure 3D calculations. All these design options ensure a high reliability and confidence levels. A lot of on-line 3D on line softwares are running in real time conditions or almost in real time conditions in the world and show some gain of operating margins. In most cases, the corresponding 3D calculations methodology is approved by Safety Authorities but the use of the core margin gain during the plant operation is not licensed. So, it is not possible to take an economic advantage from this gain. Such on-line 3D tools are only used for operating assistance to provide operators and site physicists with a better knowledge of the core behaviour and to help them in operating the plant. None of the Utilities which install such 3D softwares are allowed to take profit from this gain because the equipment which supports the software was not designed as a plant equipment. Other advantages are provided by P.I.M.S. such as the reduction of the start up test period and/or of the number of flux maps performed by the movable system and then the reduction of the associated maintenance cost. To get the licensing of the new core monitoring system and to permit Utilities to take an economic profit from the operating margin gain was the FRAMATOME-ANP's objective as soon as the beginning of the development. The improvement in core LCO monitoring accompanied with the improvement in design methods and with the increase in fuel performance makes it possible to extract the maximum power from the fuel charge in the core. That is the global and consistent FRAMATOME ANP's strategy for core margins improvement