IRIS reactor core with thorium fuel

NUCLEAR ENGINEERING

IRIS reactor core with thorium fuel

Alrwashdeh MOHAMMAD，

YU Ganglin，

WANG Kan

Nuclear Science and Techniques

Vol.22, No.5

pp.311-315

Published in print 20 Oct 2011

DOI：10.13538/j.1001-8042/nst.22.311-315

35500

This work is aimed at running the first IRIS reactor core with mixed thorium dioxide fuel (ThO₂-UO₂ and ThO₂-PuO₂). Calculations are performed by using Dragon 4.0.4 and Citation codes. The results show the multiplication factor (K_eff) for central and peripheral assemblies as a function of burnup. To ensure the proliferation resistance, the value of ²³⁵U enrichment is ≤ 20%. The K_eff is calculated using Dragon 4.0.4 for a single fuel rod and the model developed to fuel assembly, while the whole core was calculated using Citation code. For a fuel burnup, the use of increased enrichment fuel in the IRIS core leads to high reserve of reactivity, which is compensated with an integral fuel burnable absorber. The self-shielding of boron is in an IRIS reactor fuel. The effect of increased enrichment to the burn-up rates, and burnable poison distribution on the reactor performance, are evaluated. The equipment used in traditional light water reactors is evaluated for designing a small unit IRIS reactor.

Long life reactorHigh burnupBurnable absorber

References

[1]

Carelli M D. Nucl News, 2003, 46: 32-42.

[2]

Carelli M D, Petrovic B. Nuc Eng Inter, 2006, 51: 12-17.

[3]

Carelli M D, Conway L E,Fiorini G L, et al. IAEA, 2001, IAEA-SR-218/35: 5.

[4]

Sümer Ş, Veysel Ö, Hüseyin Y. Ann Nucl Energy, 2001, 3: 203-223.

[5]

Boczar P G, Dyck G R, Chan P S W, et al.

IEAE-TECDOC-1319, Recent advances in thorium fuel cycles for CANDU reactors, thorium fuel utilization:options and trends

. In: Proceedings of three IEAE meetings held in Vienna 2002, 104¨C20.

Baidu Scholar

Google Scholar

[6]

Radkowsky A, Segev M, Galperin A. Nucl Sci Eng, 1986, 94: 80-86.

[7]

Mark J C. Sci Glob Secur, 1993, 4: 111-128.

[8]

Thomas L E, Einziger R E, Buchanan, H C. J Nucl Mater, 1993, 20: 310-319.

[9]

Fausto F, Petrovic B. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2008, 238: 3240-3252.

[10]

Carelli M D. Eng Design, 2004, 230: 151-167.

[11]

Fausto F, Petrovic B. Ann Nucl Energy, 2008, 35: 1587-1597.

[12]

Duderstadt , James J, Hamilton L J. Nuclear reactor analysis, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1976, 170-175.

[13]

Marleau G., Heber A T, Roy R. A user guid for dragon version4, Montreal, polytechnique de Montréal Technical, 2009, 167-195.

[14]

Fowler T B, Vondy D R, Cunningham G W. Nuclear reactor core analysis code, citation, Tennessee, oak ridge national lab, 1999, 104-140.