Heterogeneous Transmutation Sodium Fast Reactor

S. E. Bays

关键词: S;    ACTINIDES;    AMERICIUM;    BREEDING;    CAPTURE;    DECAY;    FAST REACTORS;    FISSION;    FUEL CYCLE;    FUEL PINS;    HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS;    MASS BALANCE;    NEUTRON REACTIONS;    NEUTRONS;    NUCLEAR FUELS;    PLUTONIUM;    PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES;    REACT;   

DOI  :  10.2172/920415
RP-ID  :  INL/EXT-07-13252
PID  :  OSTI ID: 920415
Others  :  TRN: US0805315

学科分类：核能源与工程

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The threshold-fission (fertile) nature of Am-241 is used to destroy this minor actinide by capitalizing upon neutron capture instead of fission within a sodium fast reactor. This neutron-capture and its subsequent decay chain leads to the breeding of even neutron number plutonium isotopes. A slightly moderated target design is proposed for breeding plutonium in an axial blanket located above the active “fast reactor” driver fuel region. A parametric study on the core height and fuel pin diameter-to-pitch ratio is used to explore the reactor and fuel cycle aspects of this design. This study resulted in both non-flattened and flattened core geometries. Both of these designs demonstrated a high capacity for removing americium from the fuel cycle. A reactivity coefficient analysis revealed that this heterogeneous design will have comparable safety aspects to a homogeneous reactor of comparable size. A mass balance analysis revealed that the heterogeneous design may reduce the number of fast reactors needed to close the current once-through light water reactor fuel cycle.