Fertile-Free Fast Lead-Cooled Incinerators for Efficient Actinide Burning
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)
Fertile-free fast lead-cooled modular reactors are proposed as efficient incinerators of plutonium and minor actinides (MAs) for application to advanced fuel cycles devoted to transmutation. Two concepts are presented: (1) an actinide burner reactor, designed to incinerate mostly plutonium and some MAs, and (2) a minor actinide burner reactor, devoted to burning mostly minor actinides and some plutonium. These transuranics are loaded in a fertile-free Zr-based metallic fuel to maximize the incineration rate. Both designs feature streaming fuel assemblies that enhance neutron leakage to achieve favorable neutronic feedback and a double-entry control rod system that reduces reactivity perturbations during seismic events and flattens the axial power profile. A detailed neutronic analysis shows that both designs have favorable neutronic characteristics and reactivity feedback mechanisms that yield passive safety features comparable to those of the Integral Fast Reactor. A safety analysis presents the response of the burners to anticipated transients without scram on the basis of (1) the integral parameter approach and (2) simulations of thermal-hydraulic accident scenario conditions. It is shown that both designs have large thermal margins that lead to safe shutdown without structural damage to the core components for a large spectrum of unprotected transients. Furthermore, the actinide destruction rates are comparable to those of the accelerator transmutation of waste concept, and a fuel cycle cost analysis shows the potential for economical accomplishment of the transmutation mission compared to other proposed actinide-burning options.
- OSTI ID:
- 20837882
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Technology, Journal Name: Nuclear Technology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 147; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN NUTYBB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Design Strategy and Constraints for Medium-Power Lead-Alloy-Cooled Actinide
Design Strategy and Constraints for Medium-Power Lead-Alloy-Cooled Actinide Burners
Related Subjects
ACCELERATORS
ACTINIDE BURNER REACTORS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
COST
DESIGN
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CYCLE
LEAD
NEUTRON LEAKAGE
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
SAFETY ANALYSIS
SCRAM
SEISMIC EVENTS
THERMAL HYDRAULICS
TRANSIENTS
TRANSMUTATION