Operational performances of LWR plants in the sense of achieved load factors

The contributing factors have been looked for, which alone or interacting with each other are correlated with the load factors achieved by the LWR units in the western world up to date. By means of these contributing factors the actual trends existing in operational performance of the LWR units have been identified. The study presented in the paper is mostly based on statistical analyses, particularly on regression analyses. Owing to the skew statistical behaviour of the load factors an exponential regression model is applied. The data base of the study covers the whole operating history of all the commercial LWR units in the western world.