Fuel Management for an Intermediate Power Research Reactor

The fuel-cycle program for operating the Livermore Pool Type Reactor was initiated in 1960 and subsequently modified in several respects. The effects of these modifications on the program of managing the fuel and the excess reactivity are discussed. The results of three years (32 cycles) of operation indicate equilibrium values for the five parameters studied to be 3550g ²³⁵U, 510 g fission products, 0.767 thermal utilization, 12.5% average core burnup, with spent fuel rejected at 21.7% burnup. The thermal utilization is seen to follow the relationship f = 0.798 − 0.00113 × MWd cycle.