Design study of long-life PWR using thorium cycle

Journal Article · Wed Jun 06 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4725443· OSTI ID:22004158

Subkhi, Moh Nurul; Su'ud, Zaki; Waris, Abdul ^[1]

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1. Physics.Dept., Bandung Institute of Technology.Ganesha 10, Bandung (Indonesia)

Design study of long-life Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) using thorium cycle has been performed. Thorium cycle in general has higher conversion ratio in the thermal spectrum domain than uranium cycle. Cell calculation, Burn-up and multigroup diffusion calculation was performed by PIJ-CITATION-SRAC code using libraries based on JENDL 3.2. The neutronic analysis result of infinite cell calculation shows that {sup 231}Pa better than {sup 237}Np as burnable poisons in thorium fuel system. Thorium oxide system with 8%{sup 233}U enrichment and 7.6{approx} 8%{sup 231}Pa is the most suitable fuel for small-long life PWR core because it gives reactivity swing less than 1%{Delta}k/k and longer burn up period (more than 20 year). By using this result, small long-life PWR core can be designed for long time operation with reduced excess reactivity as low as 0.53%{Delta}k/k and reduced power peaking during its operation.

• OSTI ID: 22004158
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1448; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
BURNABLE POISONS
BURNUP
CONVERSION RATIO
DIFFUSION
FISSION
FUEL SYSTEMS
J CODES
NEPTUNIUM 237
NUCLEAR FUELS
P CODES
PROTACTINIUM 231
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR FUELING
THORIUM CYCLE
THORIUM OXIDES
URANIUM 233