Transcript Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor

Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor
First Preliminary Report:
Fuel Composition Analysis
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Base Core

Driver Fuel: Weapons Grade Plutonium

Host Fuel: Natural Uranium
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Comparison to Reference Core
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
TRU Transmutation Optimization

Two approaches:
 Host Fuel Modification



Thorium Host Fuel
Enriched Uranium Host Fuel (Reactor
Grade)
Introduction of Burnable Poisons
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Host Fuel Modification

Natural thorium host
fuel transmutes over
double that of the
natural uranium host
fuel
Enriched Uranium
unsuitable as a host
fuel
TRU Inventory Transmutation
9.00%
8.00%
Percentage Transmutation

7.00%
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Natural Uranium
Natural Thorium
Host Fuel
Burnable Poisons
Poison impact on
transmutation potential
relatively low, and insensitive
to poison positioning
Change in Transmutation Percentage per kg of Hafnium
2.50E-04
Change in Transmutation Percentage

2.00E-04
1.50E-04
1.00E-04
5.00E-05
0.00E+00
Driver Fuel
Host Fuel
Position of Hafnium
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Driver & Host Fuel
Reactor Grade Plutonium Driver
Fuel
Loss of transmutation
efficiency with
introduction of BP
TRU Inventory Transmutation
7.00%
6.00%
Percentage Transmuted

5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
Natural Uranium
Natural Thorium
Host Fuel
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Natural Thorium (with
BP additives)
Recycled LWR Spent Fuel Driver

TRU Inventory Transmutation
8.00%
Percentage Transmuted
7.00%
Lower reactivity swing
than WGPu driver
fuel core
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
Natural Uranium
Natural Thorium
Natural Thorium (with
BP additives)
Host Fuel
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
R
,2
Pu
dr
ive
Pu
r
,5
%
BP
W
ho
G
st
Pu
,5
%
W
in
G
bo
Pu
th
,U
ra
ni
um
ho
st
Pu
BP
W
G
.5
%
LW
R
BP
G
.5
%
5%
BP
LW
R
Pu
W
G
W
G
ec
yc
le
d
Pu
,2
ec
yc
le
d
G
R
R
R
Maximum Power Densities (W/cc)
Power Density Comparisons
Maximum Power Densities
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Power Density Comparisons





Uranium host fuel yielded highest power density (925.378 W/cc)
Average difference between max power between uranium host and
thorium host ≈ 231.31 W/cc
Compositions with WGPu driver gave highest power densities
BP introduction did not detriment power out significantly ≈ 35.697
W/cc difference on average
Maximum power density independent of BP positioning
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Power Distribution Analysis: Axial
Axial Power Density Distribution, WGPu Driver
2.00E+02
1.80E+02
Power Density (W/cc)
1.60E+02
1.40E+02
5% BP in Class 1
1.20E+02
Uranium host fuel
1.00E+02
5% BP total in Classes 1 and 2
8.00E+01
Thorium host fuel
5% BP in Class 2
6.00E+01
4.00E+01
2.00E+01
0.00E+00
0
2
4
6
8
10
Axial Position
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
12
Power Distribution Analysis: Axial


Cosine shape, with maximum at center of
fuel pin
Power fluctuations are small between:


Differenet BP positioning
Uranium and thorium fuel compositions
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Power Distribution Analysis:
Radial
Radial Power Density Distribution, WGPu Driver
1.20E+02
Power Density (W/cc)
1.00E+02
8.00E+01
5% BP in Class 1
Uranium host fuel
6.00E+01
5% total in Class 1 and 2
Thorium host fuel
5% BP in Class 2
4.00E+01
2.00E+01
-6
-4
0.00E+00
-2
0
2
4
Ring Number
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
6
Power Distribution Analysis:
Radial



Power peaks at center of core
Decrease occurs due to configuration of
low and high energy drivers
Power increases near outer core due to
increased flux from reflectors
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
Future Prospects
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin
References

[1] N.J. Nicholas, K.L. Coop and R.J. Estep, Capability and Limitation Study of DDT Passive-Active
Neutron Waste Assay Instrument (Los Alamos: Los Alamos National Laboratory, LA-12237-MS, 1992).


[2] Plutonium Fuel: An Assesment (Paris:OECD/NEA,1989)
[3] Hill RN, Wade DC, Liaw JR, and Fujita EK, Physics Studies of Weapons Plutonium Disposition in
the Integral Fast Reactor Closed Fuel Cycle. Nuclear Science and Engineering: 121, 17-31 (1995)

[4] H. Conde, Introduction to ADS for Waste Incineration and Energy Production.(Uppsala University, SE751 10 Uppsala,
Sweden)

Rebus3 for multi-group diffusion analysis


Argonne National Laboratory
MC2 for lattice physics calculations

Argonne National Laborator
Fynan, Mar, Sirajuddin