Physics-Informed Unit Commitment Framework for Nuclear Reactors

Abstract

Nuclear reactors are often modeled as inflexible baseload generators with fixed downtimes and restrictive ramping constraints. In practice, however, a reactor's operational flexibility is closely tied to its fuel cycle and associated reactivity margin. A key physical constraint for power maneuverability is xenon poisoning, caused from the transient buildup of neutron-absorbing xenon following a power reduction. This transient can delay or prevent subsequent power ramp-up due to suppressed core reactivity. Additionally, if a reactor is shutdown during periods of low reactivity, restart times can vary significantly, leading to prolonged downtimes. This work introduces a physics-informed modeling framework that embeds fuel cycle dynamics within a unit commitment (UC) formulation. The framework tracks reactivity margin, dynamically enforces xenon induced constraints, and endogenously schedules refueling outages based on core conditions. By capturing intracycle reactivity evolution, the model enables operation dependent nuclear dispatch that reflects both techno-economic requirements and irreducible nuclear physics limits. Application to a representative reactor fleet shows that flexible operation can slow reactivity degradation and extend fuel cycles. Results further demonstrate that different operational modes substantially affect VRE utilization, curtailment, and nuclear fleet capacity factors. These findings highlight the importance of fuel cycle aware flexibility modeling for accurate reactor scheduling and integration of nuclear power into energy system models.