A Proposed Model to Describe the Relationship Between Online Burnup Assay and Economy and Safety of Pebble Bed Reactor

Online burnup measurement is a unique feature for pebble bed gas-cooled reactor and the fuel balls undergo a multi-circulation on the basis of the online burnup assay. It is ascertained that the accuracy of the online burnup assay is related with the economy and safety of pebble bed reactor. In the economical perspective, the burnup assay accuracy allow some part of pebbles that are below the burnup limit in the orifice to be discharged out of the core. In the safety view, the burnup assay allow some part of pebbles in the reactor core to exceed the burnup limit. In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed to establish the relationship. The model is implemented based on some reasonable theoretical hypothesis, and the influence of assay accuracy on the reactor safety and fuel cost issues are discussed based on the simulated results given by different assay accuracy. It is ascertained that improvements on burnup assay accuracy could save the fuel cost and improve the PBR economical efficiency as well as reduce the probability of radioactive release due to over-irradiation and enhance the safe reliability of PBR. Further research on the burnup distribution of pebbles in and out of the core and the burnup assay model are expected to provide some implications on proposing reasonable requirements for accuracy of online burnup assay.