Fuel management simulation of CANDU 3 at equilibrium condition

This paper presents the results of the detailed fuel management study performed for the CANDU 3 reactor at equilibrium fueling condition; that is when each channel is fueled at a constant rate and the average power distribution remains constant. First the characteristics of the time-average equilibrium core were calculated, then a time-dependent fueling simulation was performed for 100 full power days (FPD) of operation (including channel refueling) in steps of five FPD. The present study has shown that if the recommended channel selection guidelines are followed, the reactor can be operated without exceeding the target bundle and channel power limits. If these guidelines are violated, the peak powers increase, which means that small power derating would be necessary. Corrective actions can be taken by the operator to bring the peak powers back to their normal levels. This well be at the expense of increased fueling rates. (Author) 4 refs., 10 figs., 5 tabs