Comparison of uranium plutonium nitride (U-Pu-N) and thorium nitride (Th-N) fuel for 500 MWth gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) long life without refueling

Abstract

SummaryComparison of uranium plutonium nitride and thorium nitride fuel for 500 MWth gas-cooled fast reactor has been done. Gas-cooled fast reactor is one type of generation IV reactor that can be operated in high temperature. Due to the high temperature, it can be used in hydrogen production. In this study, we compare the neutronic analysis of two fuel types, ie, uranium nitride fuel (U,Pu)N and thorium nitride fuel (Th,U233)N. The neutronic calculation uses SRAC2006 code system, and the data libraries use JENDL4.0.First, the fuel pin calculation (PIJ calculation) has been done to take the macro data that are used in CITATION calculation. Both uranium and thorium fuel use heterogeneous configuration with 3 variation fuel in the core. F1 is located in the central core, F2 middle core, and F3 outer core.The variation of fuel fraction is 40% until 65%, cladding 10%, and coolant 25% until 40%. For (U,Pu)N fuel, the diameter of the active core is 220 cm, and the height of the active core is 110 cm. And for (Th,U233)N, the diameter of the active core is 250 cm and the height of the active core is 150 cm. The reflector radial-axial width is 50 cm. For uranium plutonium nitride fuel, the type of the fuel in one core is varied; ie, F1 is 8%, F2 is 10%, and F3 is 12%. For thorium nitride fuel, the type of the fuel in one core also varied; ie, F1 is 7.8%, F2 is 8%, and F3 is 8.8%. The optimum value of thorium nitride is when fuel fraction of region F1 = 60%, F2 = 57.5%, F3 = 60%, the burn up time up to 20 years without refueling, max k-eff value is 1.0109, and max excess reactivity value is 1.08%. Neutronic analysis shows that both uranium and thorium fuel have excess reactivity value less than 2% but thorium fuel has excess reactivity less than uranium nitride fuel.Uranium fuel has better breeding capability than thorium fuel. Therefore, it is better to use uranium fuel for fast reactor like GFR, which has high breeding capability.

An algorithm for accurate modeling and simulating reactor cores with involute‐shaped fuel plates by Monte Carlo

“…It is of great significance to evaluate the thermal‐hydraulic characteristics of a very high temperature reactor to realize the closed fuel cycle, which enables the regeneration of fissile fuel and facilitates the management of minor actinides for the fast neutron spectrum reactors. For example, it always requires that recycling fuels are used and qualified in the Gen‐IV reactors, for example, the sodium‐cooled fast reactor (SFR), the lead‐cooled fast reactor (LFR), 9 the gas‐cooled fast reactor (GFR), 10 and the molten salt fast reactor (MSFR) 11 . The designs of fuels in research reactors differ from reactor to reactor, but can be divided mainly into two categories, a rod‐shape type or a plate‐shape type.…”

Neutronic Performance of a Compact 10 MWe Nuclear Reactor with Low Enrichment (ThxU1−x)N Fuel

“…UN and (U x Pu 1Àx )N fuels have been synthesized for characterization, with emphasis on tailoring the initial materials properties for application in gas-cooled fast reactors (GFR), sodium-cooled fast reactors (BN-1200), lead-cooled fast reactors (BREST), seed-and-blanket transuranic (S&B) burner concepts, space propulsion systems for the SP-100 program, and various light water reactor concepts. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26] The varied requirements of these designs necessitate a comprehensive view of the materials properties of nitride fuel forms. The thermal and mechanical properties of UN and, to a limited extent, (U x Pu 1Àx )N, have been measured as a function of temperature and pressure.…”

Reflector materials selection for core design of modular gas‐cooled fast reactor using OpenMC code

“…Moreover, the GFR can operate at high temperatures, use helium gas as the primary coolant, and have a low void reactivity effect 3,5 . The modular GFR potentially uses the natural uranium or depleted uranium fuel, enabling employed closed fuel‐cycle and recycled actinides 4,6,7 . The unique features in GFR design are applying the hard neutron spectrum and using the structures that are compatible with the very high‐temperature reactor (VHTR), although the VHTR used thermal neutron spectrum 2,3 .…”

“…Furthermore, the modular GFR can be exciting and promising because of the less refueling core 8,9 . The modular GFR utilized the hard fast neutron spectrum potential and the nuclear waste minimization without fuel reprocessing and fuel enrichment plants 6‐9 . So, it will reduce the obligations of waste and spent fuel management 10 .…”