The Role of Enriched Fuel in CANDU Power Uprating

Abstract

Different methods of distributing fissile and absorber material for uprating the power level in existing and future CANDUs are compared. For existing CANDUs the preferred method is found to be fissile material distribution using new fuelling schemes. A combination of fissile and absorber material distribution produces the highest uprating for future CANDUs. However, the decreasing requirement for xenon override due to the demonstrated high availability of CANDU, reduces the importance of the role that absorber distribution in the form of adjuster rods can play.