Breeding Potential of Thermal Reactors

Chernick, J.; Moore, S.O.

doi:10.13182/nse59-a15516

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In 1959, Chermick et al, theoretically studied the use of thorium fuel in thermal reactor, and the results showed the advantage of thorium fuel in term of neutron economy and high conversion ratio [2]. In 1962, thorium-based fuel in the pellet form of an urania-thoria mixture (thorium and initial fissile nuclide of 235 U enrichment) was first experienced in the boiling water reactor (BWR) of Indian Point.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particle-type Burnable Poisons for Thorium-based Fuel in HTGR

Trinuruk

Obara

2015

Energy Procedia

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Thorium-based fuels have been proposed for use as alternative nuclear fuels in a 100-MW t prismatic high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) to overcome the limitation of natural uranium resources. Safety design features have been addressed by using particle-type burnable poison to prevent a prompt supercritical accident in the reactor. The present study compared the proposed system with the use of 235 U-238 U conventional nuclear fuel in an HTGR. The use of thorium-based fuel showed usefulness in terms of neutron economics, but from the safety standpoint, the thorium fuel reversed the inherent safety characteristics of a negative temperature coefficient. Introducing the appropriate composition of particle-type burnable poison can be useful for reactivity control in long-term operation, but it cannot guarantee the reactor will be free from the prompt supercritical accidents. The use of particle-type burnable poisons did sufficiently minimize the reactivity and flatten the reactivity swing to decrease the burden on the control rods mechanism, and reduce the positive temperature coefficient or even make it negative. These results did improve the safety features of the reactor.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particle-type Burnable Poisons for Thorium-based Fuel in HTGR

Trinuruk

Obara

2015

Energy Procedia

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“…Consider first the effect of moderating power on the breeding ratio for a light-water-moderated Th-U233 breeder. Results of Chernick and Moore for a system unperturbed by any other neutron absorber (2) than the moderator are shown in Table 1. Note that the breeding ratio is sensitive to the resonance factor and exhibits a maximum at a moderating power of 2000.…”

Section: Disclaimermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The remainder of the design, then, consists of picking an enrichment that will (1) satisfy criticality considerations, and (2) satisfy the thermal and hydraulic parameters of a realistic reactor.…”

Section: Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case for Epithermal Breeders.

Manowitz¹

1966

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“…Length of core and volume fraction of gas passages having been assigned, concentrations of moderator and fuel in the core were chosen such that the moderator-fuel ratios, N(C)/N(U), lay in the range from 4,000 to 10,000 as recommended by Perry (45) and Chemick (84). Next, the critical diameters were found by means of one-dimensional,54-group calculations with the GNU reactor program for the IBl-704.…”

Section: Ggbr Key Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%