A Procedure for the Pre-Conceptual Design of Fast Reactors and Application to a Gas-Cooled Sub-Critical Transmuter

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Fiorina ◽  
Konstantin Mikityuk ◽  
Jiři Křepel
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Maximum Pressure ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Pressure Losses ◽  
Design And Optimization ◽  
Inert Matrix

A C++ procedure has been developed for the design and optimization of Fast Reactor (FR) cores. It couples the ERANOS based EQL3D procedure developed at PSI for FR equilibrium fuel cycle analysis with a dedicated MATLAB script that evaluates the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the reactor core. It is conceived to investigate reactors with both standard pins and annular pins. The procedure accepts as input the physical properties of the system, as well as a set of target core parameters presently consisting of core power, maximum fuel burnup, multiplication factor, inner pin diameter (for annular pins) or maximum pressure losses (for standard pins), and core height. It gives as a result a core design fulfilling these design objectives and meeting the constraints on maximum fuel and clad temperatures. In case of annular pins, it also equalizes the temperature rise inside and outside of the core average pin. The procedure considers the possibility of two-zone cores and adjusts the fuel composition in the two zones to achieve an optimal radial power distribution. Finally, it can evaluate safety parameters and fuel cycle characteristics both at beginning-of-life and at equilibrium. As a test case, the procedure has been used for the pre-conceptual design of a sub-critical Gas Fast Reactor core employing inert-matrix sphere-pac fuel and annular pins with SiC cladding.

CFD Investigation of Thermal-Hydraulic Behaviors in Full Reactor Core for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Chen ◽  
Dalin Zhang ◽  
Suizheng Qiu ◽  
Kui Zhang ◽  
Mingjun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
The Core ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Heat Removal System ◽  
China Experimental Fast Reactor ◽  
Full Core

As the first developmental step of the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) in China, the pool-type China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) is equipped with the openings and inter-wrapper space in the core, which act as an important part of the decay heat removal system. The accurate prediction of coolant flow in the reactor core calls for complete three-dimensional calculations. In the present study, an investigation of thermal-hydraulic behaviors in a 180° full core model similar to that of CEFR was carried out using commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The actual geometries of the peripheral core baffle, fluid channels and narrow inter-wrapper gap were built up, and numerous subassemblies (SAs) were modeled as the porous medium with appropriate resistance and radial power distribution. First, the three-dimensional flow and temperature distributions in the full core under normal operating condition are obtained and quantitatively analyzed. And then the effect of inter-wrapper flow (IWF) on heat transfer performance is evaluated. In addition, the detailed flow path and direction in local inter-wrapper space including the internal and outlet regions are captured. This work can provide some valuable understanding of the core thermal-hydraulic phenomena for the research and design of SFRs.

scholarly journals Modeling minor actinide multiple recycling in a lead-cooled fast reactor to demonstrate a fuel cycle without long-lived nuclear waste

Nukleonika ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 581-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Przemysław Stanisz ◽  
Jerzy Cetnar ◽  
Grażyna Domańska
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Minor Actinide ◽  
Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
European Collaboration ◽  
Multiple Recycling

Abstract The concept of closed nuclear fuel cycle seems to be the most promising options for the efficient usage of the nuclear energy resources. However, it can be implemented only in fast breeder reactors of the IVth generation, which are characterized by the fast neutron spectrum. The lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) was defined and studied on the level of technical design in order to demonstrate its performance and reliability within the European collaboration on ELSY (European Lead-cooled System) and LEADER (Lead-cooled European Advanced Demonstration Reactor) projects. It has been demonstrated that LFR meets the requirements of the closed nuclear fuel cycle, where plutonium and minor actinides (MA) are recycled for reuse, thereby producing no MA waste. In this study, the most promising option was realized when entire Pu + MA material is fully recycled to produce a new batch of fuel without partitioning. This is the concept of a fuel cycle which asymptotically tends to the adiabatic equilibrium, where the concentrations of plutonium and MA at the beginning of the cycle are restored in the subsequent cycle in the combined process of fuel transmutation and cooling, removal of fission products (FPs), and admixture of depleted uranium. In this way, generation of nuclear waste containing radioactive plutonium and MA can be eliminated. The paper shows methodology applied to the LFR equilibrium fuel cycle assessment, which was developed for the Monte Carlo continuous energy burnup (MCB) code, equipped with enhanced modules for material processing and fuel handling. The numerical analysis of the reactor core concerns multiple recycling and recovery of long-lived nuclides and their influence on safety parameters. The paper also presents a general concept of the novel IVth generation breeder reactor with equilibrium fuel and its future role in the management of MA.

Conceptual Design Study on Advanced Aqueous Reprocessing System for Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle

2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi TAKATA ◽  
Yoshikazu KOMA ◽  
Koji SATO ◽  
Masayoshi KAMIYA ◽  
Atsuhiro SHIBATA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Reactor Fuel ◽  
Design Study ◽  
Fast Reactor Fuel

ICONE11-36431 Conceptual Design Study on Advanced Aqueous Reprocessing System for Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (0) ◽  
pp. 380
Author(s):  
Takeshi Takata ◽  
Yoshikazu Koma ◽  
Koji Sato ◽  
Masayoshi Kamiya ◽  
Atsuhiro Shibata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Reactor Fuel ◽  
Design Study ◽  
Fast Reactor Fuel

scholarly journals Evaluation of isotopic composition of fast reactor core in closed nuclear fuel cycle

2017 ◽  
Vol 153 ◽  
pp. 07031
Author(s):  
Georgy Tikhomirov ◽  
Mikhail Ternovykh ◽  
Ivan Saldikov ◽  
Peter Fomichenko ◽  
Alexander Gerasimov
Keyword(s):  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Cycle ◽  
Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle

scholarly journals Conceptual design study on very small long-life gas cooled fast reactor using metallic natural Uranium-Zr as fuel cycle input

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiber Monado ◽  
Menik Ariani ◽  
Zaki Su'ud ◽  
Abdul Waris ◽  
Khairul Basar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Natural Uranium ◽  
Design Study ◽  
Long Life

Physics of Plutonium and Americium Recycling in PWR Using Advanced Fuel Concepts

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Hourcade
Keyword(s):  
Inventory Management ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Reactor Physics ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Fuel Rods ◽  
Inert Matrix ◽  
Water Reactors ◽  
Set Up

PWR waste inventory management is considered in many countries including Frances as one of the main current issues. On this subject, the French 1991 Bataille’s law set up a 15 years research program on three main axes: sub-surface storage, deep geological storage, transmutation using critical or subcritical burners. Amongst the output Actinides, Pu and Am are the 2 main contents both in term of volume and long term radio-toxicity. Waiting for the Generation IV systems implementation (2035–2050), one of the mid-term solutions for their transmutation involves the use of advanced fuels in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). These have to require as little modification as possible of the core internals, the cooling system and fuel cycle facilities (fabrication and reprocessing). The present paper is focussed on the reactor physics characteristics, as a preliminary step in the evaluation of options, knowing that others homogeneous and heterogeneous assemblies have been studied by the CEA ([1] to [5]). The main neutronic parameters to be considered for Pu and Am recycling in PWR are void coefficient (αvoid), Doppler coefficient (αDopp), fraction of delayed neutrons (β) and power distribution (especially for heterogeneous configurations). The modification of the moderation ratio, the opportunity to use inert matrices (targets), the optimisation of Uranium, Plutonium and Americium contents are the key parameters to play with. One of the solutions presented here is a heterogeneous assembly with regular moderation ratio composed with both target fuel rods (Pu and Am embedded in an inert matrix) and standard UO2 fuel rods. An EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) type reactor, loaded only with assemblies containing 84 peripheral targets, can reach an Americium consumption rate of [4.4; 23 kg/TWhe] depending on the assembly concept. For Pu and Am inventories stabilisation, the theoretical fraction of reactors loaded with Pu + Am or Pu assemblies is about 60%. For Americium inventory stabilisation, the fraction decreases down to 16%, but Pu is produced at a rate of 18.5 Kg/Twhe (−25% compared to one through UOX cycle).

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