Fuel element design and analysis for potential LEU conversion of the Advanced Test Reactor
Abstract
This study provides a summary of the status of the design process for a low-enrichment replacement for the high-enrichment fuel that has historically been used in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory. Under current long-term Department of Energy policy, the ATR will be converted to operate using low-enrichment fuel by 2030. To this end, an engineering evaluation and design process has been underway for more than ten years. Initially performed as a series of scoping studies for different design options, the last five years have seen a transition to a formal Safety-in-Design approach to the design and safety evaluation process. This paper focuses on such efforts in progress since 2012 to identify pre-conceptual and conceptual design candidates for ATR conversion. The Enhanced LEU Fuel (ELF) design is selected as the most promising conceptual design. Analyses and trade-off studies performed that led to that selection are described. Analysis of certain aspects of core performance for an ELF-fueled core relative to the current high-enrichment fuel show that only small and manageable changes to core operations will be necessary to support conversion of ATR to low-enrichment fuel.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[3]
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Reactor Physics Design and Analysis
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Reactor and Nuclear Safety Engineering
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1473913
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1549303
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-17-41538-Rev000
Journal ID: ISSN 0149-1970
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517; NA-212; DEAC07-05ID14517
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Progress in Nuclear Energy
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 104; Journal ID: ISSN 0149-1970
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; ATR; LEU Conversion; ELF Mk 1A; Serpent
Citation Formats
DeHart, Mark D., Karriem, Zain, Pope, Michael A., and Johnson, Matthew P. Fuel element design and analysis for potential LEU conversion of the Advanced Test Reactor. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.09.007.
DeHart, Mark D., Karriem, Zain, Pope, Michael A., & Johnson, Matthew P. Fuel element design and analysis for potential LEU conversion of the Advanced Test Reactor. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.09.007
DeHart, Mark D., Karriem, Zain, Pope, Michael A., and Johnson, Matthew P. Fri .
"Fuel element design and analysis for potential LEU conversion of the Advanced Test Reactor". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.09.007. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1473913.
@article{osti_1473913,
title = {Fuel element design and analysis for potential LEU conversion of the Advanced Test Reactor},
author = {DeHart, Mark D. and Karriem, Zain and Pope, Michael A. and Johnson, Matthew P.},
abstractNote = {This study provides a summary of the status of the design process for a low-enrichment replacement for the high-enrichment fuel that has historically been used in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory. Under current long-term Department of Energy policy, the ATR will be converted to operate using low-enrichment fuel by 2030. To this end, an engineering evaluation and design process has been underway for more than ten years. Initially performed as a series of scoping studies for different design options, the last five years have seen a transition to a formal Safety-in-Design approach to the design and safety evaluation process. This paper focuses on such efforts in progress since 2012 to identify pre-conceptual and conceptual design candidates for ATR conversion. The Enhanced LEU Fuel (ELF) design is selected as the most promising conceptual design. Analyses and trade-off studies performed that led to that selection are described. Analysis of certain aspects of core performance for an ELF-fueled core relative to the current high-enrichment fuel show that only small and manageable changes to core operations will be necessary to support conversion of ATR to low-enrichment fuel.},
doi = {10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.09.007},
journal = {Progress in Nuclear Energy},
number = ,
volume = 104,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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