On the performance of nanofluids in APR 1400 PLUS7 assembly: Neutronics

•The use of nanofluids as reactor coolants is feasible from a neutronics perspective.•No major effects were reported for the moderator temperature coefficient.•No major effects were reported for the fuel temperature coefficient.•No major effects were reported for the multiplication factor.•No major effects were reported for the fuel cycle length.•Simulations revealed that nanoparticles deposition might cause a more severe Crud Induced Power Shifts (CIPs). The purpose of this work is to investigate the utilization of a set of nanofluids as a coolant/moderator for Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) APR 1400 PLUS7 assembly design through modeling their effect on essential neutronics parameters and quantities of interest via SERPENT with simplistic thermal-hydraulics feedback. Various scenarios are discussed including fresh and burned conditions as well as the effect of nanoparticles crud deposition. Al2O3, TiO2, and CNT water-based nanofluids with a range of concentrations in the span of 0.001 wt%–0.3 wt% were chosen for the present case study. For each nanofluid/concentration combination; the effect on the assembly’s multiplication factor, Fuel Temperature Coefficient (FTC), Moderator Temperature Coefficient (MTC), and the discharge burnup are studied and highlighted. Moreover, the effect of a CRUD-like deposition of the nanoparticles on the axial power shifts is studied via SERPENT.