An Advanced Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Core Concept Using Uranium-Free Metallic Fuels for Maximizing TRU Burning Rate

Abstract

Abstract:In this paper, we designed and analyzed advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor cores using uranium-free metallic fuels for maximizing burning rate of transuranics (TRU) nuclides from PWR spent fuels. It is well known that the removal of fertile nuclides such as 238 U from fuels in liquid metal cooled fast reactor leads to the degradation of important safety parameters such as the Doppler coefficient, coolant void worth, and delayed neutron fraction. To resolve the degradation of the Doppler coefficient, we considered adding resonant nuclides to the uranium-free metallic fuels. The analysis results showed that the cores using uranium-free fuels loaded with tungsten instead of uranium have a significantly lower burnup reactivity swing and more negative Doppler coefficients than the core using uranium-free fuels without resonant nuclides. In addition, we considered the use of axially central B 4 C absorber region and moderator rods to further improve safety parameters such as sodium void worth, burnup reactivity swing, and the Doppler coefficient. The results of the analysis showed that the final design core can consume~353 kg per cycle and satisfies self-controllability under unprotected accidents. The fuel cycle analysis showed that the PWR-SFR coupling fuel cycle option drastically reduces the amount of waste going to repository and the SFR burner can consume the amount of TRUs discharged from 3.72 PWRs generating the same electricity.

Neutronic analysis of sodium‐cooled fast reactor design with different fuel types using modified CANDLE shuffling strategy in a radial direction

“…Generation IV reactors have the potential to ensure safety, economic competitiveness, reduction in environmental burden, efficient utilization of resources, resistance to nuclear proliferation, and enhanced physical protection 3,4 . Recently, design and construction work have started on active advanced SFR research projects, such as the Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration (ASTRID) in France and Prototype Generation‐IV Sodium‐cooled Fast Reactor (PGSFR) in South Korea 5 . The commercial Japan Sodium‐cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR) was included officially in their national plan with a start‐up target date of 2025 3 and operation target date of 2050 6 …”