Comparison of the neutronic properties of the (Th-233U)O2, (Th-233U)C, and (Th-233U)N fuels in small long-life PWR cores with 300, 400, and 500 MWth of power

Autor: Lapanporo Boni Pahlanop, Su’ud Zaki, Mustari Asril Pramutadi Andi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nukleonika, Vol 69, Iss 1, Pp 3-12 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1508-5791
DOI: 10.2478/nuka-2024-0001
Popis: The neutronic characteristics of (Th-233U)O2, (Th-233U)C, and (Th-233U)N have been compared in small long-life pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Neutronic calculations were carried out at 300 MWth, 400 MWth, and 500 MWth with two cladding types: zircaloy-4 and ZIRLO (Zr low oxygen). They were performed using the Standard Reactor Analysis Code (SRAC) and JENDL-4.0 nuclide data, dividing the reactor core into three fuel zones with varying 233U enrichment levels, ranging from 3% to 9% and fluctuating by 1%, employing the PIJ module at the fuel cell level and the CITATION module at the reactor core level. In addition, 231Pa was added as burnable poison (BP). The (Th-233U)N fuel demonstrated superior criticality compared to the other fuel types, as it consistently achieves critical conditions throughout the reactor’s operating cycle with excess reactivity
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