XIMAGE

Feature-Rich Interface: Intelligent Core Design Automation

XIMAGE contains an impressive array of intelligent automation for the most widely used core design and analysis applications:

• User-controlled depletion schedule
• Spent fuel pool that allows fuel to be reinserted
• Library of potential candidate patterns can be saved for later analysis
• Point-and-click bundle design
• User defined coastdown option
• Configurable maps with data filtering
• Import end-of-cycle data from previous cycle for accurate core designs
• Automated equilibrium cycle design
• Loading pattern design optimization using simulated annealing (PWR only)
• Export to Studsvik core modeling software for downstream analysis and applications

XIMAGE also includes tools not available in any other core design software, such as a multi-cycle framework allowing detailed design of individual core designs within a sequence of scoping cycles and a highly configurable “autoloader” to automatically generate patterns that satisfy core design requirements like cycle length and margin to thermal limits.

Robust Neutronic Solver: The Power of SIMULATE

Leveraging the power of CASMO and SIMULATE, Studsvik’s industry-leading nuclear reactor analysis software, XIMAGE provides robust core design evaluation utilizing the same 3D core models used in other areas of the plant. The XIMAGE graphical interface utilizes several SIMULATE physics models, including cross-section feedback and pin reconstruction, for optimal accuracy.

The powerful neutronic engine running within XIMAGE means that the final core design can be immediately handed to other engineers for analysis with other Studsvik software tools without any additional effort.

Improved Core Designs: Maximize Fuel Utilization and Efficiency

XIMAGE can assist core design engineers with a variety of tasks, giving organizations the power to perform their own independent fuel design analyses:

• Design of the core loading pattern and control rod pattern for future cycles.

• Confirmation of fuel vendor-proposed core designs or alternate designs that may perform better.

• Fuel bid evaluations to compare fuel design proposals from multiple fuel vendors using the same point of reference.

• Explore various fuel designs with respect to batch feed size.

  What is the impact on cycle length and thermal margin? Can those requirements be met with fewer bundles using a better core design?

• Run hypothetical scenarios, modifying fuel or core designs to explore dramatically different loading patterns.

  The ability to quickly explore a wide range of core designs can lead to a better core design that still meets safety margins.

XIMAGE has been applied in core design studies for virtually every PWR fuel and core design in existence today. Whether the fuel is high- or low-enriched, uranium or MOX, contains erbia, gadolinia, or IFBA poisons; XIMAGE has been successfully used to improve the core design process.

PWR Design Optimization: Simulated Annealing

The optimization module of XIMAGE/ SIMAN-PWR generates high quality loading patterns by combining simulated annealing- based optimization algorithm with accurate neutronic analysis of each candidate pattern.

Optimization is subject to geometric heuristics and user-defined loading pattern rules in order to improve core performance relative to specific objectives and constraints, like pin power peaking, moderator temperature coefficient, and pin exposure.