Method and system for generating a nuclear reactor core loading distribution

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

• receive at least one reactor core parameter distribution associated with a state of a core of a reference nuclear reactor;
• generate an initial fuel loading distribution for a simulated beginning-of-cycle (BOC) core of a nuclear reactor, the simulated BOC core of a nuclear reactor including a simulated beginning-of-life (BOL) core of the nuclear reactor;
• select an initial set of positions associated with a set of regions within the simulated BOC core of the nuclear reactor, wherein the initial set of positions correspond to the set of regions;
• generate an initial set of fuel design parameter values utilizing at least one design variable of at least one of the set of regions;
• calculate at least one reactor core parameter distribution of the simulated BOC core utilizing the initial set of fuel design parameter values associated with the set of regions located at the initial set of positions of the simulated BOC core;
• generate a subsequent loading distribution by performing at least one perturbation process on the set of regions of the simulated BOC core in order to determine a subsequent set of positions for the set of regions within the simulated BOC core;
• and
• cause a fuel handler to arrange one or more fuel assemblies in a core of the nuclear reactor according to the subsequent loading distribution.

A system comprising:

• a controller including one or more processors operable to execute program instructions maintained on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program instructions configured to:
• receive at least one reactor core parameter distribution associated with a state of a core of a reference nuclear reactor;
• generate an initial fuel loading distribution for a simulated beginning-of-cycle (BOC) core of a nuclear reactor;
• select an initial set of positions associated with a set of regions within the simulated BOC core of the nuclear reactor, each of the initial set of positions corresponding to one of the set of regions;
• generate an initial set of fuel design parameter values utilizing at least one design variable of at least one of the set of regions, wherein each of the initial set of fuel design parameter values is associated with one of the set of regions of the simulated BOC core of the nuclear reactor;
• calculate at least one reactor core parameter distribution of the simulated BOC core utilizing the initial set of fuel design parameter values associated with the set of regions located at the initial set of positions of the simulated BOC core;
• generate a subsequent loading distribution by performing at least one perturbation process on the set of regions of the simulated BOC core in order to determine a subsequent set of positions for the set of regions within the simulated BOC core, the subsequent set of positions defining the loading distribution for the simulated BOC core, wherein the subsequent set of positions reduce the difference between the at least one reactor core parameter distribution of the simulated BOC core and the received at least one reactor core parameter distribution associated with the state of the core of the reference nuclear reactor below a selected tolerance level;
• and
• cause a fuel handler to arrange one or more fuel assemblies in a core of the nuclear reactor according to the subsequent loading distribution.