FUEL CYCLES IN SINGLE-REGION THERMAL POWER REACTORS

Technical Report · Fri Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4315544

Pigford, T H; Benedict, M; Shanstrom, R T; Loomis, C C; Van Ommeslaghe, B

An analysis of the fuel cycles for thermal power reactors fueled with natural or slightly enriched uranium or with U/sup 235/- thorium mixtures is presented. Equations are developed which provide a means of calculating the time variation in reactivity of fuel during its irradiation and of the feed enrichment required and attainable buroup as limited by reactivity lifetime. Numerical examples are given of the changes in composition and reactivity of U/sup 235/-U/ sup 238/ fuel during irradiation, the attainable burnup as a function of the feed enrichment, and the resulting through-put quantities and fuel costs for a pressurized-water reactor and a natural-uranium, heavy-water-moderated reactor. Both batch loading and programmed continuous loading of the make-up fuel are considered, and the examples show the effect of recycle operation on the required feed enrichment and attainable burnups. For recycle operation the required cooling time, through-put through the reprocessing plant, and estimated costs of reprocessing and other recycle conversion operations are given. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Atomic Div., General Dynamics Corp., San Diego, Calif.; Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge
• NSA Number: NSA-12-015050
• OSTI ID: 4315544
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/1016
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BURNUP
CONFERENCE
CONFIGURATION
CONVERSION
DECAY
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ENRICHMENT
EQUATIONS
FISSION PRODUCTS
IRRADIATION
NATURAL URANIUM FUEL
NUMERICALS
PHYSICS
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
PROGRAMMING
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THORIUM
URANIUM 232
URANIUM 238
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR
ZONES