Study on the Steady-State Performance of the Fuel Rod in M2LFR-1000 Using KMC-Fueltra

Abstract

Operating conditions in the liquid metal fast reactor, like higher power density, higher temperature gradient, and higher burnup, are more severe to the fuel rod comparing to the light water reactor. The integrity and safety of the fuel rod is very essential to the reactor safety. In this study, the fuel rod designed for M2LFR-1000, which is a typical pool type lead cooled fast reactor, is evaluated using a fuel performance analysis code named KMC-Fueltra. Irradiation behaviors and material properties for the MOX fuel and T91 cladding are established and introduced into the code. The steady-state performance of the fuel rod is analyzed. Results concerning both fuel and cladding performance are discussed based on indicative design limits collected from the open literatures. This study is useful to improve the conceptual design of the M2LFR-1000.