The modeling of the nuclear reactor subsystem uses nuclear reaction physics, thermodynamics, and economic feasibility with mathematical constraints to fulfill the goal of designing a reactor that maximizes thermal energy output per unit mass of fuel while ensuring safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This is achieved by defining key decision variables, including fuel enrichment, reactor core volume, neutron flux, and thermal efficiency, and formulating a constrained optimization problem. The model incorporates nonlinear constraints that reflect regulatory fuel limits, heat dissipation requirements, and neutron flux safety thresholds.

Relevance of Optimized Solution:

The optimized results indicate that minimizing fuel consumption while maximizing efficiency leads to improved reactor performance. The constraints ensure that the design remains physically feasible, avoiding excess heat generation and maintaining operational safety.

Model Fidelity Justification:

• The model accurately captures the key physical and economic trade-offs in reactor operation.

• Reactor physics and thermodynamics are integrated into a nonlinear constrained optimization problem, balancing efficiency, power output, and cost.

• The objective function and constraints are derived from real-world industry reactor parameters, making the model a high-fidelity approximation of an actual PWR system.

Software Used for Optimization:

• MATLAB (fmincon with SQP algorithm) was used due to its ability to handle nonlinear constraints effectively.

• The results were verified across multiple initial conditions with 5 trials to find the optimal solution.