A novel concept of QUADRISO particles : Part II Utilization for excess reactivity control.

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Nucl. Eng. Des.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2010.03.025· OSTI ID:1014008

Talamo, A ^[1]

---

1. Nuclear Engineering Division

In high temperature reactors, burnable absorbers are utilized to manage the excess reactivity at the early stage of the fuel cycle. In this paper QUADRISO particles are proposed to manage the initial excess reactivity of high temperature reactors. The QUADRISO concept synergistically couples the decrease of the burnable poison with the decrease of the fissile materials at the fuel particle level. This mechanism is set up by introducing a burnable poison layer around the fuel kernel in ordinary TRISO particles or by mixing the burnable poison with any of the TRISO coated layers. At the beginning of life, the initial excess reactivity is small because some neutrons are absorbed in the burnable poison and they are prevented from entering the fuel kernel. At the end of life, when the absorber is almost depleted, more neutrons stream into the fuel kernel of QUADRISO particles causing fission reactions. The mechanism has been applied to a prismatic high temperature reactor with europium or erbium burnable absorbers, showing a significant reduction in the initial excess reactivity of the core.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1014008
• Report Number(s): ANL/NE/JA-70032
• Journal Information: Nucl. Eng. Des., Journal Name: Nucl. Eng. Des. Journal Issue: 2011 Vol. 240; ISSN 0029-5493
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BURNABLE POISONS
ERBIUM
EUROPIUM
FISSILE MATERIALS
FISSION
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL PARTICLES
NEUTRONS