Economic Benefits of Higher Enriched Assays for 24-Month Cycle Length

Abstract

The viability of a 24-month cycle length for a standard 4-loop PWR using a three-batch refueling management is demonstrated. The motivation for this work stems from the desire within the nuclear industry to move to longer operational periods. The increase in cycle length increases the availability factor, potentially decreasing the fuel cycle costs. The analyses are performed using 2D fuel assembly models with varying U235 enrichment and gadolinia pin loadings. The preliminary results demonstrated here indicate that a 24-month fuel cycle could be achieved using ~6.15 wt % enriched UO2 fuel. The fuel cycle analyses are complemented with economic estimates. The economic analysis confirms that considerable reduction in fuel cycle costs is achieved when transitioning from an 18-month to a 24-month cycle.