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U.S. Department of Energy
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MOX recycling in GEN 3 + EPR Reactor homogeneous and stable full MOX core

Conference ·
OSTI ID:22257897
; ; ;  [1]
  1. AREVA - Tour AREVA, 1 Place Jean Millier, 92084 Paris La Defense (France)
In the case of the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) reactor, 100% MOX core management is possible with simple design adaptations which are not significantly costly. 100% MOX core management offers several highly attractive advantages. First, it is possible to have the same plutonium content in all the rods of a fuel assembly instead of having rods with 3 different plutonium contents, as in MOX assemblies in current PWRs. Secondly, the full MOX core is more homogeneous. Thirdly, the stability of the core is significantly increased due to a large reduction in the Xe effect. Fourthly, there is a potential for the performance of the MOX fuel to match that of new high performance UO{sub 2} fuel (enrichment up to 4.95 %) in terms of increased burn up and cycle length. Fifthly, since there is only one plutonium content, the manufacturing costs are reduced. Sixthly, there is an increase in the operating margins of the reactor, and in the safety margins in accident conditions. The use of 100% MOX core will improve both utilisation of natural uranium resources and reductions in high level radioactive waste inventory.
Research Organization:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI ID:
22257897
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English