AN EVALUATION OF U$sup 233$- THORIUM FUELS FOR FAST BREEDER APPLICATION
An investigation of the breeding potential, energy costs, and long-term nuclear effects of a number of 300-Mwe reactors using alternate types of U/sup 233/-Th fuels and fuel element configurations was performed as part of an evaluation of fast U/sup 233/-Th breeder reactors. The fuel types evaluated were metal alloy, sponge, oxide, oxide-BeO mixtures, carbide, and cermet. Rods, plates, and annuli were the geometric shapes investigated. Over-all system doubling times, for a set of assumed reference conditions, ranged from 19.7 years for carbide fuel to 28.6 years for metal alloy fuel. Fuel cycle costs varied from 3.5 mill/kwh for oxide fuel to 7.5 mill/kwh for metal fuel. These doubling times and fuel costs are based on the best judgment of the near term burnup capability of the fuels considered. A carbide design with a fuel cost of 3.7 mill/kwh and a doubling time of 19.7 years was selected for further detailed evaluation. Of the geometric configurations studied, the rod type element led to lower fuel costs than either plates or annuli. The addition of 25% BeO to oxide fuel in order to increase power density lowered the system doubling time from 27.6 years to 24.3 years, but increased fuel costs from 3.53 mill/kwh to 3.86 mill/kwh. The long-term nuclear effects on breeding potential, reactivity, control requirements, and fuel handiing were considered for each fuel material. No fuel material demonstrated long-term characteristics which would affect its feasibility of operation; furthermore, the effects for the several fuel materials are sufficiently similar as not to influence the selection of a preferred fuel.
- Research Organization:
- United Nuclear Corp., White Plains, N.Y.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-027074
- OSTI ID:
- 4839641
- Report Number(s):
- NDA-2164-2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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