METHOD FOR PERFORMING STAR/ARWV RECONCILIATION
A method for transitioning a nuclear reactor during initial cycle startup to a power generating state is disclosed. The method includes setting the nuclear reactor to a zero power state, eliminating lower power physics tests (LPPTs) for a current cycle of the nuclear reactor based on a predetermined set of criteria, and setting the nuclear reactor to the power generating mode without performing the LPPTs, based on the reconciliation. The eliminating includes predicting, using a first design code, a first set of values for factors of the LPPTs, developing, using data from past cycles of the nuclear reactor, empirical formulas for the factors of the LPPTs, predicting, using the empirical formulas, a second set of values for the factors of the LPPTs, and reconciling the first values with the second values.
1 . A method for transitioning a nuclear reactor during initial cycle startup to a power generating state, the method comprising:
setting the nuclear reactor to a zero power state;
eliminating lower power physics tests (LPPTs) for a current cycle of the nuclear reactor based on a predetermined set of criteria, wherein the current LPPTs are required to transition the nuclear reactor to the power generating state from the zero power state, and wherein the eliminating comprises:
predicting, using a first design code, a first set of values for factors of the LPPTs;
developing, using data from past cycles of the nuclear reactor, empirical formulas for the factors of the LPPTs;
predicting, using the empirical formulas, a second set of values for the factors of the LPPTs; and
reconciling the first values with the second values; and
transitioning the nuclear reactor to the power generating state without performing the LPPTs, based on the reconciliation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data from the past cycles comprises unrodded cycle specific data.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein developing the empirical formulas comprises applying a regression fit to the data from the past cycles of the nuclear reactor.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the eliminating of the LPPTs further comprises developing uncertainties associated with each empirical formula.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the factors comprise moderator temperature coefficient.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the empirical formula for moderator temperature coefficient is defined as:
MTC(pcm/° F.)= k m0 +k m1 L+k m2 φ 1/2 +k m3 ppm+ k m4 ppm 2
where k m0 , k m1 , k m2 , k m3 , and k m4 are constants derived from the plant specific data set, ppm is the soluble boron concentration (in parts per million) in the reactor coolant, φ 1/2 is the core average fast to thermal flux ratio, and L is the core leakage in Δk units defined as:
L
=
P
r
oduction
/
k
eff
Remo
v
a
l
-
1
=
∫
V
v
∑
f
1
φ
1
+
v
∑
f
2
φ
2
d
V
k
eff
∫
V
v
∑
a
1
φ
1
+
v
∑
a
2
φ
2
d
V
-
1
=
k
∞
k
eff
-
1
where Σ fi and Σ ai are the fission and neutron absorption cross sections for neutron energy group i, φ i is the neutron flux for neutron energy group i, ν is the number of neutrons released per fission, k ∞ and k eff are the infinite and effective neutron multiplication factor for the reactor core, and V is the volume of the active core.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the factors comprise total rod worth.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the empirical formula for total rod worth is defined as:
T
R
W
(
p
c
m
)
=
k
TR
0
+
k
TR
1
ppm
+
k
TR
2
ppm
2
+
k
TR
3
∑
i
=
1
N
R
i
φ
2
/
1
,
i
φ
i
2
where k TR0 , k TR1 , k TR2 , and k TR3 are constants derived from the plant specific data set, ppm is the soluble boron concentration (in parts per million) in the reactor coolant, and φ 2/1 is the core average thermal to fast flux ratio at BOC, HZP, ARO, φ i is the neutron flux for neutron energy group i, and Ri is the number of CEA fingers inserted in assembly i.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the factors comprise total regulating bank worth.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the empirical formula for total regulating bank worth is defined as:
RBW
(
p
c
m
)
=
k
RR
0
+
k
RR
1
ppm
+
k
RR
2
ppm
2
+
k
RR
3
M
+
k
RR
4
M
2
+
k
RR
5
k
ur
k
r
+
k
RR
6
(
k
ur
k
r
)
2
+
k
RR
7
(
∑
i
=
1
N
R
i
φ
2
/
1
,
i
φ
i
2
)
+
k
RR
8
(
∑
i
=
1
N
R
i
φ
2
/
1
,
i
φ
i
2
)
2
where where k RR0 , k RR1 , k RR2 , k RR3 , k RR4 , k RR5 , k RR6 , k RR7 , and k RR8 are constants derived from the plant specific data set and k ur /k r is the ratio of average unrodded k ∞ in unrodded to rodded locations defined as:
k
ur
k
r
=
∑
i
=
1
N
k
i
∑
i
=
1
N
Δ
k
rf
R
i
k
i
-
1
where k i is the unrodded k ∞ in assembly i, R i is the number of regulating bank rod fingers inserted in assembly i, and Δk rf is worth of one control rod finger. M is the total unrodded neutron migration length defined as:
M
=
D
2
∑
a
2
+
D
1
∑
a
1
+
∑
r
1
where D i and Σ ai are the Diffusion constant and macroscopic absorption cross section for neutron energy group I, and Σr 1 is the macroscopic group I removal cross section.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein reconciling the first values with the second values comprises:
calculating a difference between the first values of the current cycle to first reference values from a reference cycle of the nuclear reactor; and
calculating a difference between the second values of the current cycle to second reference values from the reference cycle of the nuclear reactor.
12 . A method for transitioning a nuclear reactor to a power generating state, the method comprising:
setting the nuclear reactor to a zero power state;
eliminating lower power physics tests (LPPTs) for a current cycle of the nuclear reactor based on a predetermined set of criteria, wherein the current LPPTs are required to transition the nuclear reactor to the power generating state from the zero power state, and wherein the eliminating comprises:
predicting, using a first design code, a first set of values for factors of the LPPTs, wherein the factors comprise at least one of moderator temperature coefficient, total rod worth, and total regulating bank worth;
developing, using data from past cycles of the nuclear reactor, empirical formulas for the factors of the LPPTs;
predicting, using the empirical formulas, a second set of values for the factors of the LPPTs; and
calculating a difference between the first values of the current cycle to first reference values from a reference cycle of the nuclear reactor; and
calculating a difference between the second values of the current cycle to second reference values from the reference cycle of the nuclear reactor; and
transitioning the nuclear reactor to the power generating state without performing the LPPTs, based on the calculations.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the data from the past cycles comprises unrodded cycle specific data.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein developing the empirical formulas comprises applying a regression fit to the data from the past cycles of the nuclear reactor.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the eliminating of the LPPTs further comprises developing uncertainties associated with each empirical formula.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the empirical formula for moderator temperature coefficient is defined as:
MTC(pcm/° F.)= k m0 +k m1 L+k m2 φ 1/2 +k m3 ppm+ k m4 ppm 2
where k m0 , k m1 , k m2 , k m3 , and k m4 are constants derived from the plant specific data set, ppm is the soluble boron concentration (in parts per million) in the reactor coolant, φ 1/2 is the core average fast to thermal flux ratio, and L is the core leakage in Δk units defined as:
L
=
P
r
oduction
/
k
eff
Remo
v
a
l
-
1
=
∫
V
v
∑
f
1
φ
1
+
v
∑
f
2
φ
2
d
V
k
eff
∫
V
v
∑
a
1
φ
1
+
v
∑
a
2
φ
2
d
V
-
1
=
k
∞
k
eff
-
1
where Σ fi and Σ ai are the fission and neutron absorption cross sections for neutron energy group i, φ i is the neutron flux for neutron energy group i, ν is the number of neutrons released per fission, k ∞ and k eff are the infinite and effective neutron multiplication factor for the reactor core, and V is the volume of the active core.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the empirical formula for total rod worth is defined as:
TRW
(
p
c
m
)
=
k
TR
0
+
k
TR
1
ppm
+
k
TR
2
ppm
2
+
k
TR
3
∑
i
=
1
N
R
i
φ
2
/
1
,
i
φ
i
2
where k TR0 , k TR1 , k TR2 , and k TR3 are constants derived from the plant specific data set, ppm is the soluble boron concentration (in parts per million) in the reactor coolant, and φ 2/1 is the core average thermal to fast flux ratio at BOC, HZP, ARO, φ i is the neutron flux for neutron energy group i, and Ri is the number of CEA fingers inserted in assembly i.
18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the empirical formula for total regulating bank worth is defined as:
RBW
(
pc
m
)
=
k
RR
0
+
k
RR
1
ppm
+
k
RR
2
ppm
2
+
k
RR
3
M
+
k
RR
4
M
2
+
k
RR
5
k
ur
k
r
+
k
RR
6
(
k
ur
k
r
)
2
+
k
RR
7
(
∑
i
=
1
N
R
i
φ
2
/
1
,
i
φ
i
2
)
+
k
RR
8
(
∑
i
=
1
N
R
i
φ
2
/
1
,
i
φ
i
2
)
2
where where k RR0 , k RR1 , k RR2 , k RR3 , k RR4 , k RR5 , k RR6 , k RR7 , and k RR8 are constants derived from the plant specific data set and k ur /k r is the ratio of average unrodded k ∞ in unrodded to rodded locations defined as:
k
ur
k
r
=
∑
i
=
1
N
k
i
∑
i
=
1
N
Δ
k
rf
R
i
k
i
-
1
where k i is the unrodded k ∞ in assembly i, R i is the number of regulating bank rod fingers inserted in assembly i, and Δk rf is worth of one control rod finger. M is the total unrodded neutron migration length defined as:
M
=
D
2
∑
a
2
+
D
1
∑
a
1
+
∑
r
1
where D i and Σ ai are the Diffusion constant and macroscopic absorption cross section for neutron energy group I, and Σr 1 is the macroscopic group I removal cross section.