Henry Bennett

NEF CDT Student
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge

Contact:

Sponsor: EPSRC and Rolls Royce

Automated design optimisation of nuclear reactor cores

The energy generated within a nuclear reactor must be transported out of the core without overheating the fuel, coolant or other constituents. The maximum power capability of a core is determined by thermal limits which are set to prevent the release of fission products outside of the fuel elements or any lasting change that prevents normal operation of the reactor.

I will be looking to develop an automated design optimisation approach to maximise the power and lifetime capability of the core. This will involve automatically varying key design options such as the concentration and location of the fuel, the concentration and location of poison, and the dimensions of the fuel elements and flow paths.