Possibility of Different Fuel Cycles Usage in GT-MHR

Conference · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2002

OSTI ID:21064629

Kodochigov, N; Sukharev, Yu; Marova, E ^[1]; Ponomarev-Stepnoy, N; Glushkov, E; Fomichenko, P ^[2]; Ellis, C ^[3]

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1. OKB Mechanical Engineering, 15 Nizhny Novgorod, Burnakovsky proezd, 603074 (Russian Federation)
2. RRC Kurchatov Institute Kurchatov Square, 46 Moscow 123182 (Russian Federation)
3. General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608 (United States)

The GT-MHR reactor core is characterized by flexibility of neutronic characteristics at the given average power density and fixed geometrical dimensions of reactor core. Such flexibility makes it possible to start the reactor operation with one fuel cycle, and then to turn to another type of core fuel load without changes of main reactor elements: fuel block design, core and reflector size, control rod number etc. Preliminary analysis re-indicates the commercial viability of the GT-MHR, part of which is due to the ability to accommodate different fuel types and cycles. This paper presents the results of studies of the neutronic characteristics of reactor cores using different fuel (low- and high-enriched uranium, MOX fuel). Comparison of different fuel cycles is carried out for a three-batch refueling option with respect to following characteristics: discharged fuel burnup, reactivity change during one partial cycle of fuel burnup, consumption of fissile isotopes per unit of produced energy, power distribution, reactivity effects, control rods worth. It is shown, that the considered options of fuel loads provide the three-year fuel campaign (with accounting of capacity factor {approx} 0,8) without change of core design, number and design of control rods at transition from the one fuel type to another. (authors)

• Research Organization: The ASME Foundation, Inc., Three Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5990 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 21064629
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BURNUP
CAPACITY
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CONTROL ROD WORTHS
DESIGN
FUEL CYCLE
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
POWER DENSITY
POWER DISTRIBUTION
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR OPERATION