Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Determining the fuel assemblies bowing of the VVER-1000 reactor by using an artificial neural network and C-shape bowing assumption

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

J. Vosoughi
N. Vosoughi
A.K. Salehi

Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O.BOX: 11365-8639, Tehran - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2023.1616
Abstract
FAs (Fuel Assembly) lateral deformation under mechanical, hydraulic, thermal, and radiation loads in the reactor core is called FA bowing. This phenomenon has different consequences for reactor safety and its operation. Bowing causes the local change in distance between the FAs, which leads to a neutron perturbation that affects the power distribution and its asymmetry. This research determines the bowing pattern of FAs in the VVER-1000 reactor core by using an artificial neural network and C-shape bowing assumption. That will be done based on power distribution caused by the presence of FA bowing. This issue will help the operator design the arrangement of FAs in the next cycle by knowing the bowing pattern in the reactor core. It will prevent the expansion of the bowing and its consequences in the next fuel cycles.

Highlights

  1. Wanninger A. Mechanical Analysis of the Bow Deformation of Fuel Assemblies in a Pressurized Water Reactor Core. PhD Thesis. Technische Universität München. 2018.

 

  1. Aleshin Y, Gabrielsson P. Bow evaluations to support fuel assembly design improvements. Westinghouse Electric Company LLC. South Carolina. 2018.

 

  1. Dresssel B, Hazdic H. CDF Aplication for Nuclear Reactor Fuel Assembly Desing. Fuel Mechanics Prague. 2016.

 

  1. Dufek J, Berger J. Impact of fuel assembly bowing on the power density distribution and its monitoring in Siemens/KWU PWR. Master’s Thesis. Royal Institue of Technology. 2017.

 

  1. Bosselut D, Andriambololona H. Insertion and Drop of Control Rod in Assembly Simulations and Parametric Analysis. Département Mécanique Des Fluides et Transfert Thermique. Lyon. 2004.

 

  1. Rochman D, Mala P, Ferroukhi H. Bowing effects on power and burn-up distributions for simplified full PWR and BWR cores. International Conference on Mathematics & Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science & Engineering. Jeju. Korea. 2017.

 

  1. Yamamoto A, Endo T, Nagano H, Ohoka Y. A simple treatment of increased gap due to fuel assembly bowing through correction of cross sections. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology. 2019.

 

  1. Vosoughi J, Vosoughi N. Salehi AA. Development of a calculation model to simulate the effect of bowing of the VVER-1000 reactor fuel assembly on power distribution. Annals of Nuclear Energy. 2023.

 

  1. Bell G, Glasstone S. Nuclear Reactor Theory. New York. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. 1970.

 

  1. Haykin S. Neural Network Comprehensive Foundation. Prentice Hall. 2009.

 

  1. Final Safety Analysis Report of BNPP-1. 2014.

 

  1. Marleau G. DRAGON theory manual. Ecole Polytechnique de Montr´eal. 2001.

 

  1. Downar T. PARCS v3.0 U.S. NRC Core Neutronics Simulator. University of Michigan. 2009.

 

  1. COBRA-EN code system for Thermal-Hydraulic Transient Analysis of Light Water Reactor Fuel Assemblies and Core. Oak Ridge National Laboratoty. 2001.

 

  1. Duderstadt J, Hamilton L. Nuclear Reactor Analysis. JOHN WILEY & SONS. 1976.

 

  1. Chionis D, Dokhane A. Development and verification of a methodology for neutron noise response to fuel assembly vibrations. Annals of Nuclear Energy. 2020.

 

  1. Vosoughi J, Vosoughi N, Salehi A.K. Using an artificial neural network in the generation of macroscopic cross-sections for the VVER-1000 reactor core calculations. Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology. 2025;111(1):21-28 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2023.1593

[In Persian].

 

  1. IAEA-TECDOC-1454. Structural behaviour of fuel assemblies for water cooled reactors. In Proceedings of a technical meeting. France. 2004.

Keywords

Artificial neural network
Fuel assembly bowing
Power distribution
  1. Wanninger A. Mechanical Analysis of the Bow Deformation of Fuel Assemblies in a Pressurized Water Reactor Core. PhD Thesis. Technische Universität München. 2018.

 

  1. Aleshin Y, Gabrielsson P. Bow evaluations to support fuel assembly design improvements. Westinghouse Electric Company LLC. South Carolina. 2018.

 

  1. Dresssel B, Hazdic H. CDF Aplication for Nuclear Reactor Fuel Assembly Desing. Fuel Mechanics Prague. 2016.

 

  1. Dufek J, Berger J. Impact of fuel assembly bowing on the power density distribution and its monitoring in Siemens/KWU PWR. Master’s Thesis. Royal Institue of Technology. 2017.

 

  1. Bosselut D, Andriambololona H. Insertion and Drop of Control Rod in Assembly Simulations and Parametric Analysis. Département Mécanique Des Fluides et Transfert Thermique. Lyon. 2004.

 

  1. Rochman D, Mala P, Ferroukhi H. Bowing effects on power and burn-up distributions for simplified full PWR and BWR cores. International Conference on Mathematics & Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science & Engineering. Jeju. Korea. 2017.

 

  1. Yamamoto A, Endo T, Nagano H, Ohoka Y. A simple treatment of increased gap due to fuel assembly bowing through correction of cross sections. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology. 2019.

 

  1. Vosoughi J, Vosoughi N. Salehi AA. Development of a calculation model to simulate the effect of bowing of the VVER-1000 reactor fuel assembly on power distribution. Annals of Nuclear Energy. 2023.

 

  1. Bell G, Glasstone S. Nuclear Reactor Theory. New York. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. 1970.

 

  1. Haykin S. Neural Network Comprehensive Foundation. Prentice Hall. 2009.

 

  1. Final Safety Analysis Report of BNPP-1. 2014.

 

  1. Marleau G. DRAGON theory manual. Ecole Polytechnique de Montr´eal. 2001.

 

  1. Downar T. PARCS v3.0 U.S. NRC Core Neutronics Simulator. University of Michigan. 2009.

 

  1. COBRA-EN code system for Thermal-Hydraulic Transient Analysis of Light Water Reactor Fuel Assemblies and Core. Oak Ridge National Laboratoty. 2001.

 

  1. Duderstadt J, Hamilton L. Nuclear Reactor Analysis. JOHN WILEY & SONS. 1976.

 

  1. Chionis D, Dokhane A. Development and verification of a methodology for neutron noise response to fuel assembly vibrations. Annals of Nuclear Energy. 2020.

 

  1. Vosoughi J, Vosoughi N, Salehi A.K. Using an artificial neural network in the generation of macroscopic cross-sections for the VVER-1000 reactor core calculations. Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology. 2025;111(1):21-28 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2023.1593

[In Persian].

 

  1. IAEA-TECDOC-1454. Structural behaviour of fuel assemblies for water cooled reactors. In Proceedings of a technical meeting. France. 2004.

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