Need help with solving nuclear power plant problem

[zaibi113113]

How to calculate for any nuclear power plant

1. Thermal efficiency
2. power plant load factor
3. availability factor
4. capacity factor
5. core power density
6. specific power
7. linear power density
8. fissile loading
9. fuel enrichment
10. fuel burn-up
11. fuel residence time

 

[QuantumPion]

How to calculate for any nuclear power plant

1. Thermal efficiency
2. power plant load factor
3. availability factor
4. capacity factor
5. core power density
6. specific power
7. linear power density
8. fissile loading
9. fuel enrichment
10. fuel burn-up
11. fuel residence time

1. Gross electrical output / thermal rating
2. EFPD/cycle length
3. EFPD/365
4. same as 2
5. thermal rating / core volume
6. depends on context, could be same as 5 or 7.
7. thermal rating * percent of heat generated in fuel / (number of rods * core height)
8. u235 enrichment percent * total u mass
9. u235 mass / total u mass
10. thermal power * efpd / total u mass
11. number of cycles assembly is used, depends on cycle specific core design.

 

[zaibi113113]

1. Gross electrical output / thermal rating
2. EFPD/cycle length
3. EFPD/365
4. same as 2
5. thermal rating / core volume
6. depends on context, could be same as 5 or 7.
7. thermal rating / (number of rods * core height)
8. u235 enrichment percent * total u mass
9. u235 mass / total u mass
10. thermal power * efpd / total u mass
11. number of cycles assembly is used, depends on cycle specific core design.

Some queries:

1. Should I be using Gross electrical output for thermal efficiency or net electrical output? Which one is better option to be used here?

2. What if I am not given EFPD? How to find it?

I have this data available:

Rated thermal power
Gross and net electrical output
average linear power
maximm linear power
core power density
equilibrium discharge burn-up
operating pressure
core height
core equivalent dia
fuel weight
no. of fuel assemblies
rod pitch

 

[QuantumPion]

Some queries:

1. Should I be using Gross electrical output for thermal efficiency or net electrical output? Which one is better option to be used here?

2. What if I am not given EFPD? How to find it?

I have this data available:

Rated thermal power
Gross and net electrical output
average linear power
maximm linear power
core power density
equilibrium discharge burn-up
operating pressure
core height
core equivalent dia
fuel weight
no. of fuel assemblies
rod pitch

1) If you want thermodynamic efficiency use gross electrical. If you want economic efficiency use net. The difference between gross electrical and net electrical is the power consumed by the station that does not go out to the grid (i.e. the power to run the pumps, lighting, etc).

2) The EFPD (effective full power days) is the cycle length (i.e., average energy produced per day times number of days operating, or alternatively total energy produced / thermal rating). Since you know the core discharge burnup and core loading, you can calculate the total energy produced over the cycle. To determine the load factor, you need to know how many calendar days the cycle is.