{"id":15691,"date":"2017-10-21T14:06:57","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T14:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sitepourvtc.com\/?page_id=15691"},"modified":"2022-11-01T10:47:53","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T10:47:53","slug":"fuel-loading-pattern","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sitepourvtc.com\/nuclear-power-plant\/nuclear-fuel\/fuel-loading-pattern\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuel Loading Pattern"},"content":{"rendered":"
The key feature of LWRs fuel cycles<\/strong> is that there are many fuel assemblies<\/strong> in the core. These assemblies have different multiplying properties<\/strong>\u00a0because they may have different enrichment<\/strong> and different burnup<\/strong>. Generally, a common fuel assembly contains energy for approximately 4 years of operation at full power<\/strong>. Once loaded, the fuel stays in the core for 4 years, depending on the design of the operating cycle. During these 4 years, the reactor core has to be refueled. During refueling, every 12 to 18 months, some of the fuel \u2013 usually one-third or one-quarter of the core<\/strong> \u2013 is removed to the spent fuel pool<\/strong>. At the same time, the remainder is rearranged to a location in the core better suited to its remaining level of enrichment. The removed fuel (one-third or one-quarter of the core, i.e., 40 assemblies) must be replaced by fresh fuel assemblies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n