Bat algorithm for the fuel arrangement optimization of reactor core

• For the first time, bat algorithm has been developed for the core pattern optimization problem.
• BANEC results present the strength of BA in gaining semioptimized LPs consuming suitable run time.
• Numerical results reveal the acceptable performance and reliability of BA for the LPO problem.

In this paper, we develop a novel optimization algorithm, Bat Algorithm (BA), in order to implement in the Loading Pattern Optimization (LPO) of nuclear reactor core. For performing the fuel management optimization, we define a fitness function considering the multiplication factor maximizing and power peaking factor minimizing objectives simultaneously. For this purpose, we prepared a computer program i.e. Bat Algorithm Nodal Expansion Code (BANEC) in order to gain the possible maximum fitness value for the LPO operation. Fuel arrangement optimization using BANEC has been performed for two PWR test cases including KWU and BIBLIS reactors. Numerical results of BANEC confirm that the BA has a great strength to obtain a semioptimized core pattern as respect to considered objective functions during suitable consuming run time. At last, the results show that BA is a very promising algorithm for LPO problems and has the potential to use in other nuclear engineering optimization problems.