Fuel management strategy for the new equilibrium silicide core design of RSG GAS (MPR-30) Original Research Article

The design procedure and fuel management strategy are described for converting the oxide core of the 30 MWth RSG GAS (MPR-30) to the new equilibrium silicide core using a higher uranium loading. A procedure to directly search for the equilibrium core has been devised and implemented in an in-core fuel management code developed for RSG GAS. Compared to the present oxide fuel with 2.96 gU cm−3 meat density which can only provide a 25-day core cycle length under nominal power, the new silicide equilibrium core with 3.55 and 4.15 gU cm−3 meat density can significantly extend the core cycle length, namely, to about 32 and 37 days, respectively, while saving one fuel element per cycle. This achievement increases the reactor availability and utilisation, and reduces fuel cost.