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Title: Economics and utilization of thorium in nuclear reactors

Abstract

Information on thorium utilization in power reactors is presented concerning the potential demand for nuclear power, the potential supply for nuclear power, economic performance of thorium under different recycle policies, ease of commercialization of the economically preferred cases, policy options to overcome institutional barriers, and policy options to overcome technological and regulatory barriers.

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Resource Planning Associates, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6864092
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 6864092
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-6331
TRN: 78-012439
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; THORIUM CYCLE; ECONOMICS; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; FUEL CYCLE; MARKET; PLANNING; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; POWER PLANTS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS 210802* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Economics-- Fuel Cycle

Citation Formats

Not Available. Economics and utilization of thorium in nuclear reactors. United States: N. p., 1978. Web. doi:10.2172/6864092.
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Not Available. Economics and utilization of thorium in nuclear reactors. United States. doi:10.2172/6864092.
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Not Available. Mon . "Economics and utilization of thorium in nuclear reactors". United States. doi:10.2172/6864092. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6864092.
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@article{osti_6864092,
title = {Economics and utilization of thorium in nuclear reactors},
author = {Not Available},
abstractNote = {Information on thorium utilization in power reactors is presented concerning the potential demand for nuclear power, the potential supply for nuclear power, economic performance of thorium under different recycle policies, ease of commercialization of the economically preferred cases, policy options to overcome institutional barriers, and policy options to overcome technological and regulatory barriers.},
doi = {10.2172/6864092},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978},
month = {Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (8.63 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/6864092
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  • An assessment of the impact of utilizing the /sup 233/U/thorium fuel cycle in the U.S. nuclear economy is strongly dependent upon several decisions involving nuclear energy policy. These decisions include: (1) to recycle or not recycle fissile material; (2) if fissile material is recycled, to recycle plutonium, /sup 233/U, or both; and (3) to deploy or not to deploy advanced reactor designs such as Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR's), High Temperature Gas Reactors (HTGR's), and Canadian Deuterium Uranium Reactors (CANDU's). This report examines the role of thorium in the context of the above policy decisions while focusing special attention on economicsmore » and resource utilization.« less

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    Fuel costs are estimated for nuclear power reactors using either plutonium or U/sup 235/ fuels. Minimum costs in a wide range of reactor types and sizes are compared for each of the two fuel systems. Based upon the preseat pricing schedule for enriched uranium, and upon the achievement of research and deveiopmeat goals, plutonium may have a significant positive value as fuel for thermal reactors. It is anticipated that this value can be maintained, even for highly exposed plutonium, in properly desigued reactors. (auth)

  • This study assesses the feasibility of designing Seed and Blanket (S&B) Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) to generate a significant fraction of the core power from radial thorium fueled blankets that operate on the Breed-and-Burn (B&B) mode without exceeding the radiation damage constraint of presently verified cladding materials. The S&B core is designed to maximize the fraction of neutrons that radially leak from the seed (or “driver”) into the subcritical blanket and reduce neutron loss via axial leakage. The blanket in the S&B core makes beneficial use of the leaking neutrons for improved economics and resource utilization. A specific objective ofmore » this study is to maximize the fraction of core power that can be generated by the blanket without violating the thermal hydraulic and material constraints. Since the blanket fuel requires no reprocessing along with remote fuel fabrication, a larger fraction of power from the blanket will result in a smaller fuel recycling capacity and lower fuel cycle cost per unit of electricity generated. A unique synergism is found between a low conversion ratio (CR) seed and a B&B blanket fueled by thorium. Among several benefits, this synergism enables the very low leakage S&B cores to have small positive coolant voiding reactivity coefficient and large enough negative Doppler coefficient even when using inert matrix fuel for the seed. The benefits of this synergism are maximized when using an annular seed surrounded by an inner and outer thorium blankets. Among the high-performance S&B cores designed to benefit from this unique synergism are: (1) the ultra-long cycle core that features a cycle length of ~7 years; (2) the high-transmutation rate core where the seed fuel features a TRU CR of 0.0. Its TRU transmutation rate is comparable to that of the reference Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR) with CR of 0.5 and the thorium blanket can generate close to 60% of the core power; but requires only one sixth of the reprocessing and fabrication capacity per unit of core power. Nevertheless, these high-performance cores were designed to set upper bounds on the S&B core performance by using larger height and pressure drop than those of typical SFR design. A study was subsequently undertaken to quantify the tradeoff between S&B core design variables and the core performance. This study concludes that a viable S&B core can be designed without significant deviation from SFR core design practices. For example, the S&B core with 120cm active height will be comparable in volume, HM mass and specific power with the S-PRISM core and could fit within the S-PRISM reactor vessel. 43% of this core power will be generated by the once-through thorium blanket; the required capacity for reprocessing and remote fuel fabrication per unit of electricity generated will be approximately one fifth of that for a comparable ABR. The sodium void worth of this 120cm tall S&B core is significantly less positive than that of the reference ABR and the Doppler coefficient is only slightly smaller even though the seed uses a fertile-free fuel. The seed in the high transmutation core requires inert matrix fuel (TRU-40Zr) that has been successfully irradiated by the Fuel Cycle Research & Development program. An additional sensitivity analysis was later conducted to remove the bias introduced by the discrepancy between radiation damage constraints -- 200 DPA applied for S&B cores and fast fluence of 4x1023 n(>0.1MeV)/cm2 applied for ABR core design. Although the performance characteristics of the S&B cores are sensitive to the radiation damage constraint applied, the S&B cores offer very significant performance improvements relative to the conventional ABR core design when using identical constraint.« less