A liquid-metal fast breeder reactor fueling concept for thorium utilization and improved inherent safety

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5314634

Yuji, I

A new concept of fueling a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) is proposed with the aims of increasing the resource base of nuclear energy for the generation of electricity and of resolving the safety question of current LMFBRs. The basic feature of the concept is the use of /sup 233/U/Th fuel in a central part of the LMFBR core and Pu/U fuel in the outer core. The reactor is flexible in its utilization of nuclear fuels and can be an efficient breeder reactor with either the uranium or the thorium cycle. The safety characteristics of the reactor are superior to those of plutonium-fueled LMFBRs of current designs with the sodium void reactivities being negative almost everywhere in the core. The design and thermal characteristics of the proposed pins indicate that in the /sup 233/U/Th-fueled inner core, thick soft-spectrum pins can be advantageous over solid pins of a more conventional type.

• Research Organization: Instituto de Estudos Avancados, Centro Tecnico Aeroespacial, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP
• OSTI ID: 5314634
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 61:1; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METALS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BREEDER REACTORS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PINS
FUELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SAFETY
SODIUM
THORIUM
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM 233
URANIUM ISOTOPES
VOID COEFFICIENT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES