Understanding using the Haling Power Depletion (HPD) as a guide for designing PWR cores

The effect of changing enrichments on core performance

“…The HPD is used as a guide when its RPF MAX can result in the PPP MAX in the step depletion calculation to fall within its constraints. This has been found to be true for the 3 lowest enrichment cores if the HPD RFP MAX is not to be greater than 1.38 (CMS, 2009;Levine et al, 2013). The HPD cycle length should also compare favorably with the actual cycle length.…”

“…These two enrichment sets had cycle lengths of 16.050 GWd/MT and 17.044 GWD/T, respectively, whereas their corresponding HPD cycle lengths were given as 16.392 GWd/MT and 17.010 GWd/MT. The results of the Levine et al (2012) and Levine et al (2013) studies proved that the power distributions of a low leakage core during depletion followed closely the Haling Power Depletion (HPD) method power distribution, i.e., the HPD radial power fraction, RPF, distribution. The RPF is the same as the normalized fuel assembly power, NP, that occurs in other publications.…”

“…1.The second paper (Levine et al, 2013) was an expansion of the first paper to add an additional analysis of the same low leakage core configuration but with higher enrichments than those shown in Fig. 1.Thus, the same low leakage core configuration was calculated with two different sets of enrichments in Levine et al (2013). A set of enrichments represents the core's three batches.…”

“…Hence, the HPD method is used as a guide in designing low leakage cores. It should be mentioned that originally it was planned in Levine et al (2013) to develop a cycle length. of $18 GWd/MT.…”