Analysis of minor actinides transmutation for a Molten Salt Fast Reactor

Yu, Chenggang; Li, X.X.; Xiang-Zhou, Cai; Zou, Chunyan; Ma, Yuanwei; Han, Jianlong; Chen, Jingen

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2015.06.014

Cited by 48 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A special MSR reprocessing system analysis code (MSR-RS) has been developed in our previous work 36,37 to simulate the burnup performance of MSRs with online refueling and reprocessing. Several modules including the criticality analysis module (CSAS), the problem-dependent cross section processing module (TRI-TON), and the depletion and decay calculation module (ORIGEN-S) in SCALE 6.1 38 were coupled in the MSR-RS code.…”

Section: Calculation Methods Of Thecmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The high level radioactive TRU is stored temporarily in the reprocessing factory for both the batch and online reprocessing modes, which could be transmuted by a MSFR in the future. 36,41 The soluble FPs separated from the fuel salt are disposed directly. It should be noted that both gaseous and noble metallic FPs (Kr, Xe, Tc, Ru, etc) for the above fuel cycle modes can be removed online through a helium bubbling system during operation since it has been proved in the MSRE.…”

Section: Progressive Fuel Cycle Modes In Smmsrmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thorium utilization in a small modular molten salt reactor with progressive fuel cycle modes

Zou

et al. 2019

Int J Energy Res

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Summary The thorium‐uranium (Th‐U) fuel cycle is considered as a potential approach to ensure a long‐term supply of nuclear fuel. Small modular molten salt reactor (SMMSR) is regarded as one of the candidate reactors for Th utilization, since it inherits the merits of both MSR and small modular reactor. The Th utilization in a 220‐MWe SMMSR with the once‐through fuel cycle mode is investigated first. Then, the SMMSR with batch and online fuel processing modes is investigated second for comparison, considering the progressive development of fuel reprocessing technology. To keep a negative temperature reactivity feedback coefficient (TRC), a configuration for fuel salt volume fraction (SVF) equal to 15%, with a mixed fuel of low enriched uranium (LEU) and thorium at an operation time of 5 years is recommended for the once‐through mode, corresponding to the Th energy contribution (ThEC) of 37.6% and natural U and Th utilization efficiency (UE) of 0.51%. Considering the solubility limit of heavy nuclide (HN) proportion (below 18.0 mol%) in the fuel salt, the total operation time of the SMMSR shall be less than 50 years for the batch reprocessing mode with a 5‐year reprocessing interval time. In this case, the ThEC and UE can be improved to about 47.4% and 0.99%, respectively. Finally, the Th utilization and fuel sustainability are analyzed at a lifetime of 50 years for the online reprocessing fuel cycle mode, including both the only online fission products (FPs) removing scheme and the fuel transition scheme from LEU to 233U. For the former scheme, the ThEC and UE can be further improved to 58.6% and 1.52%, respectively. For the latter scheme, 233Pa is extracted continuously from the core to breed and store 233U. If a total reactor lifetime of 50 years is assumed, the operation time using LEU as starting and feeding fuel for 6 years is required, and the bred 233U during this 6‐year operation can start and maintain the reactor criticality for the remaining 44 years. In this case, the ThEC is improved significantly to 89.1% corresponding to a UE of 2.74%.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Calculation Methods Of Thecmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Progressive Fuel Cycle Modes In Smmsrmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thorium utilization in a small modular molten salt reactor with progressive fuel cycle modes

Zou

et al. 2019

Int J Energy Res

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“…All the computational results are performed by SCALE6.1, which was developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for reactor criticality and safety analyses 19 . To perform the burnup calculation for the SD‐TMSR with online reprocessing and refueling, the criticality analysis module (CSAS6), problem‐dependent cross section processing module (TRITON), and depletion and decay calculation module (ORIGEN‐S) in SCALE6.1 were coupled with an MSR reprocessing sequence (MSR‐RS) 20‐22 . The flowchart of the MSR‐RS is presented in Figure 2.…”

Section: General Description Of the Sd‐tmsr And Calculational Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmutation of ¹³⁵ Cs in a single‐fluid double‐zone thorium molten salt reactor

Chen

et al. 2020

Int J Energy Res

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Summary The single‐fluid double‐zone thorium molten salt reactor (SD‐TMSR) allows for online reprocessing fission products and adding nuclear fuel, which provides a high Th‐U breeding capability for thorium utilization. Although 135Xe in the core can be online extracted by the helium bubbling system during reactor operation to improve the reactor neutron economy, it would decay to the long‐lived 135Cs with a half‐life of 2.3 × 106 years, which is undesired from the viewpoint of the development of nuclear energy. The total production of 135Cs decayed from the extracted 135Xe is about 1.83 tons for the SD‐TMSR after 60 years operation. To reduce the significant accumulation of 135Cs, we propose a cooling transmutation method, by which the produced 135Cs is reinjected into the core for transmutation. First, a separation and multigroup cooling system in the SD‐TMSR is adopted to enhance the mass fraction of decayed 135Cs in the total Cs isotopes from 29% to 75%. Then, the separated Cs isotopes with optimized mass fraction of 135Cs are online injected into the core for transmutation. The total transmuted mass of 135Cs is about 0.61 tons after 60 years operation, corresponding to the transmuted fraction of about 37.42% and the transmutation rate of 10.17 kg/(GWe y). Moreover, the net 233U production is about 2.03 tons which is much larger than the initial 233U loading inventory of the SD‐TMSR, indicating that the Th‐U breeding mode for the transmutation of 135Cs in the SD‐TMSR can be achieved over 60 years. Novelty Statement “Transmutation of 135Cs in a single‐fluid double‐zone thorium molten salt reactor” was investigated by Kunfeng Ma, Chenggang Yu*, Jingen Chen*, and Xiangzhou Cai. A cooling transmutation method is performed to reduce the 135Cs decayed from 135Xe outside of core. It is found that a separation and multigroup cooling system improves the mass fraction of 135Cs in the total Cs isotopes from 29% to 75% and an online returning 135Cs transmutation scenario transmutes about 0.61 tons of 135Cs over 60 years.

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“…The 1p-shell light elements (Li, Be, B, C, N and O) had long been selected as the most important materials for improving neutron economy in thermal and fast fission reactors and in design of the accelerators driven spallation neutron sources, such as a candidate for target material in the intense neutron source of International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) [1], the plasma facing material of the first wall in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) [2], the neutron multiplier in the fusion blanket [3], the neutron protection layer of Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) [4], the material of the accelerator based neutron source with a Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) [5] and the accelerator driven advanced nuclear energy system (ADANES) [6]. Additionally, some 1p-shell light elements are the materials in the determination of radiation shielding requirements for radiation protection purposes, optimization of dose delivery to a treatment volume, decisions on biological effectiveness of different therapy beams, and so on [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical theory of light-nucleus reactions and application to theBe9(p,xn)reaction

Sun

Zhang

2016

Phys. Rev. C

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A statistical theory of light nucleus reaction (STLN) is proposed to describe both neutron and light charged particle induced nuclear reactions with 1p-shell light nuclei involved. The dynamic of STLN is described by the unified Hauser-Feshbach and exciton model, of which the angular momentum and parity conservations are considered in equilibrium and pre-equilibrium processes.The Coulomb barriers of the incident and outgoing charged particles, which seriously influence the open reaction channels, could be reasonably considered in the incident channel and the different outgoing channels. In kinematics, the recoiling effects in various emission processes are taken strictly into account. Taking 9 Be(p, xn) reaction as an example, we calculate the double-differential cross sections of outgoing neutrons and charged particles using PUNF code in the frame of STLN.The calculated results agree very well with the existing experimental neutron double-differential cross sections at E p = 18 MeV, and indicate that PUNF code is a powerful tool to set up file-6 in the reaction data library for the light charged particle induced nuclear reactions with 1p-shell light nuclei involved.

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Analysis of minor actinides transmutation for a Molten Salt Fast Reactor

Cited by 48 publications

References 17 publications

Thorium utilization in a small modular molten salt reactor with progressive fuel cycle modes

Thorium utilization in a small modular molten salt reactor with progressive fuel cycle modes

Transmutation of ¹³⁵ Cs in a single‐fluid double‐zone thorium molten salt reactor

Statistical theory of light-nucleus reactions and application to theBe9(p,xn)reaction

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Analysis of minor actinides transmutation for a Molten Salt Fast Reactor

Cited by 48 publications

References 17 publications

Thorium utilization in a small modular molten salt reactor with progressive fuel cycle modes

Thorium utilization in a small modular molten salt reactor with progressive fuel cycle modes

Transmutation of 135 Cs in a single‐fluid double‐zone thorium molten salt reactor

Statistical theory of light-nucleus reactions and application to theBe9(p,xn)reaction

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Transmutation of ¹³⁵ Cs in a single‐fluid double‐zone thorium molten salt reactor