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Title: Impact of the control rod consumption on the reactivity control of a SFR break-even core

Conference ·
OSTI ID:22107768
;  [1]
  1. CEA, DEN, SPRC, Cadarache, F-13108 Cedex Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)

Current design studies on Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) differ from those performed in the past by the fact that design criteria are now those of the Generation IV reactors. In order to improve their safety, reactors with break-even cores are preferred because they minimize the needs in terms of reactivity control and limit the consequences of control rod withdrawal. Furthermore, as the reactivity control needs are low, break-even core enables the use of absorbing materials with reduced efficiency (natural boron, hafnium...). Nevertheless, the use of control rods with few absorbing materials may present the disadvantage of a non-negligible ({approx}10%) loss of efficiency due to their consumption under irradiation. This paper presents a methodology to calculate accurately and analyze this consumption. (authors)

Research Organization:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI ID:
22107768
Resource Relation:
Conference: ICAPP '12: 2012 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, Chicago, IL (United States), 24-28 Jun 2012; Other Information: Country of input: France; 12 refs.; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 2012 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants - ICAPP '12| 2799 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English