US 11,742,095 B2
Nuclear reactor core loading and operation strategies
Gregory J. Pearson, Wilmington, NC (US); and Atul A. Karve, Wilmington, NC (US)
Assigned to GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL—AMERICAS, LLC, Wilmington, NC (US)
Filed by GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL—AMERICAS, LLC, Wilmington, NC (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/163,558.
Application 15/444,294 is a division of application No. 13/531,514, filed on Jun. 23, 2012, granted, now 9,583,223, issued on Feb. 28, 2017.
Application 17/163,558 is a continuation of application No. 15/444,294, filed on Feb. 27, 2017, granted, now 10,930,404.
Prior Publication US 2021/0319918 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. G21C 19/20 (2006.01); G21C 3/326 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 3/326 (2013.01) [G21C 19/205 (2013.01); Y02E 30/30 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of loading a nuclear reactor core having a radius of at least seventeen fuel bundle positions, the method comprising:
loading first control cells in a radial innermost area of the core with all burnt fuel bundles;
loading second control cells radially outside the first control cells with at least two fresh fuel bundles per control cell, wherein there are more first control cells than second control cells throughout the core;
loading an outer region radially outside the second control cells with fresh fuel bundles; and
loading an outermost region radially outside the outer region with burnt fuel bundles.