Optimization of Time-Average Calculations in CANDU Fuel Management Using Simulated Annealing: Minimization of Maximum Bundle and Channel Powers

Abstract

The time-average approach has been extensively used in CANDU fuel management, especially during the design phase, to represent an average behavior in the equilibrium core after a long period of operation. During the design process, this approach could be utilized for designing the distribution of reactivity control devices, the distribution of various in-core detectors, and the overall shape of power distribution.  This paper presents an alternative approach to create a time-average core through an optimization process which has been implemented through an algorithm called SANTAN (Simulated ANnealing for Time-Average calculatioN). In the current implementation, the objective of the optimization is to minimize the maximum bundle and channel powers in the core.  The SANTAN algorithm is valuable in helping a new core designer who would like to create a time-average core from scratch.  Presented in this paper are results from utilizing this algorithm on different number of target exit irradiation regions.