Utilization of Minor Actinides as a Fuel Component for Ultra-Long Life Bhr Configurations: Designs, Advantages and Limitations

Technical Report · Wed May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/953347· OSTI ID:953347

Tsvetkov, Pavel V ^[1]

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1. Texas A&M University/Department of Nuclear Engineering

This project assessed the advantages and limitations of using minor actinides as a fuel component to achieve ultra-long life Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) configurations. Researchers considered and compared the capabilities of pebble-bed and prismatic core designs with advanced actinide fuels to achieve ultra-long operation without refueling. Since both core designs permit flexibility in component configuration, fuel utilization, and fuel management, it is possible to improve fissile properties of minor actinides by neutron spectrum shifting through configuration adjustments. The project studied advanced actinide fuels, which could reduce the long-term radio-toxicity and heat load of high-level waste sent to a geologic repository and enable recovery of the energy contained in spent fuel. The ultra-long core life autonomous approach may reduce the technical need for additional repositories and is capable to improve marketability of the Generation IV VHTR by allowing worldwide deployment, including remote regions and regions with limited industrial resources. Utilization of minor actinides in nuclear reactors facilitates developments of new fuel cycles towards sustainable nuclear energy scenarios.

• Research Organization: Texas A&M University
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC07-05ID14655
• OSTI ID: 953347
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID/14655; NERI Project No. 2005-094
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
ACTINIDES
CONFIGURATION
ENERGY
FLEXIBILITY
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL MANAGEMENT
FUELS
HEAT
LICENSES
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR ENERGY
OPERATION
REACTORS
RESOURCES
SPENT FUELS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
WASTES