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Title: CANDLE: The New Burnup Strategy

Abstract

The new burnup strategy CANDLE (Constant Axial shape of Neutron flux, nuclide densities and power shape During Life of Energy production) is proposed. With this burnup strategy, distributions of fuel nuclide densities, neutron flux, and power density move with the same constant speed and without any change in their shapes. The excess reactivity is constant during the burnup. Therefore, any control mechanisms for the burnup are not required. Calculation procedures are presented to find these shapes and the speed of the burning region with the neutron multiplication factor of a reactor employing this burnup strategy.To demonstrate the CANDLE burnup strategy, it is applied to a fast reactor with excellent neutron economy. Only the initially built reactor requires some fissile material such as plutonium or enriched uranium for the nuclear ignition region of its core, but only natural uranium or depleted uranium is required for the other region. Succeeding reactors require only natural or depleted uranium since the burning region of the previous reactor can be utilized for the ignition region. The life of a reactor can be made longer by elongating the core height. The drift speed of the burning region for the presented fast reactor design is {approx}4 cm/yr,more » which is a preferable value for designing a long-life reactor. The burnup of spent fuel is {approx}40%. It is equivalent to 40% utilization of natural uranium without reprocessing and enrichment.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20804751
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Nuclear Science and Engineering
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 139; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2006 American Nuclear Society (ANS), United States, All rights reserved. http://epubs.ans.org/; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5639
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; BURNUP; CONTROL; DEPLETED URANIUM; DESIGN; ENRICHED URANIUM; FAST REACTORS; FISSILE MATERIALS; MULTIPLICATION FACTORS; NATURAL URANIUM; NEUTRON DENSITY; NEUTRON FLUX; NEUTRONS; PLUTONIUM; POWER DENSITY; REACTIVITY; REPROCESSING; SPENT FUELS; VELOCITY

Citation Formats

Sekimoto, Hiroshi, Ryu, Kouichi, and Yoshimura, Yoshikane. CANDLE: The New Burnup Strategy. United States: N. p., 2001. Web. doi:10.13182/NSE01-01.
Sekimoto, Hiroshi, Ryu, Kouichi, & Yoshimura, Yoshikane. CANDLE: The New Burnup Strategy. United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE01-01
Sekimoto, Hiroshi, Ryu, Kouichi, and Yoshimura, Yoshikane. 2001. "CANDLE: The New Burnup Strategy". United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE01-01.
@article{osti_20804751,
title = {CANDLE: The New Burnup Strategy},
author = {Sekimoto, Hiroshi and Ryu, Kouichi and Yoshimura, Yoshikane},
abstractNote = {The new burnup strategy CANDLE (Constant Axial shape of Neutron flux, nuclide densities and power shape During Life of Energy production) is proposed. With this burnup strategy, distributions of fuel nuclide densities, neutron flux, and power density move with the same constant speed and without any change in their shapes. The excess reactivity is constant during the burnup. Therefore, any control mechanisms for the burnup are not required. Calculation procedures are presented to find these shapes and the speed of the burning region with the neutron multiplication factor of a reactor employing this burnup strategy.To demonstrate the CANDLE burnup strategy, it is applied to a fast reactor with excellent neutron economy. Only the initially built reactor requires some fissile material such as plutonium or enriched uranium for the nuclear ignition region of its core, but only natural uranium or depleted uranium is required for the other region. Succeeding reactors require only natural or depleted uranium since the burning region of the previous reactor can be utilized for the ignition region. The life of a reactor can be made longer by elongating the core height. The drift speed of the burning region for the presented fast reactor design is {approx}4 cm/yr, which is a preferable value for designing a long-life reactor. The burnup of spent fuel is {approx}40%. It is equivalent to 40% utilization of natural uranium without reprocessing and enrichment.},
doi = {10.13182/NSE01-01},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20804751}, journal = {Nuclear Science and Engineering},
issn = {0029-5639},
number = 3,
volume = 139,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}