Protactinium-231 as a new fissionable material for nuclear reactors that can produce nuclear fuel with stable neutron-multiplying properties
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A. N. Shmelev
Abstract
Main purpose of the study is justifying doping of protactinium-231 into fuel compositions of advanced nuclear reactors with the ultimate aim to improve their operation safety and economic efficiency. Protactinium-231 could be generated in thorium blankets of hybrid thermonuclear facilities. The following results were obtained: 1. Protactinium-231 has some favorable features for its doping into nuclear fuel; 2. Protactinium containing fuel compositions can be characterized by the higher values of fuel burn-up, the longer values of fuel lifetime and the better proliferation resistance; 3. as protactinium-231 is the stronger neutron absorber than uranium-238, remarkably lower amounts of protactinium-231 may be doped into fuel compositions. The free space could be occupied by materials which are able to improve heat conductivity and refractoriness of fuel. As a consequence, operation safety of nuclear reactors could be upgraded.
Kurzfassung
Hauptziel der Studie ist die Rechtfertigung des Einbringens von Protaktinium-231 in die Brennstoffzusammensetzung zukünftiger Kernreaktoren um so deren Betriebssicherheit und Wirtschaftlichkeit zu verbessern. Protaktinium-231 könnte im Thorium-Mantel von Fusions-Spalt-Hybridreaktoren erzeugt werden. Folgende Ergebnisse wurden erhalten: 1. Protaktinium-231 hat einige günstige Eigenschaften in Bezug auf sein Einbringen in den Kernbrennstoff. 2. Kernbrennstoff der Protaktinium enthält wird durch höheren Abbrand, längere Benutzungszeit im Kernreaktor und bessere Proliferationsresistenz charakterisiert; 3. Da Protaktinium-231 ein stärkerer Neutronenabsorber als Uran-238 ist, könnten deutlich geringere Mengen von Protaktinium-231 in den Kernbrennstoff eingebracht werden. Der Freiraum könnte mit solchen Materialien besetzt werden, die Wärmeleitfähigkeit und Feuerfestigkeit des Kernbrennstoffs verbessern. Als Folge davon würde sich die Sicherheit von Kernreaktoren verbessern.
References
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Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Stability analysis of the Korean prototype Generation-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor using linear frequency domain approach
- Validation of RELAP5 model of experimental test rig simulating the natural convection in MTR research reactors
- Steady state and transient analyses of MNSR reactor using RELAP5 code
- Protactinium-231 as a new fissionable material for nuclear reactors that can produce nuclear fuel with stable neutron-multiplying properties
- Assessment of pin-by-pin fission rate distribution within MOX/UO2 fuel assembly using MCNPX code
- Influence on rewetting temperature and wetting delay during rewetting rod bundle by various radial jet models
- Experimental and numerical investigation on natural convection heat transfer in nanofluids
- Experimental studies in a single-phase parallel channel natural circulation system: preliminary results
- Calculation of PDS-XADS core closed-loop transfer function by using feedback with the lumped-model
- Calculation of nuclear reactivity using the generalised Adams-Bashforth-Moulton predictor corrector method
Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Stability analysis of the Korean prototype Generation-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor using linear frequency domain approach
- Validation of RELAP5 model of experimental test rig simulating the natural convection in MTR research reactors
- Steady state and transient analyses of MNSR reactor using RELAP5 code
- Protactinium-231 as a new fissionable material for nuclear reactors that can produce nuclear fuel with stable neutron-multiplying properties
- Assessment of pin-by-pin fission rate distribution within MOX/UO2 fuel assembly using MCNPX code
- Influence on rewetting temperature and wetting delay during rewetting rod bundle by various radial jet models
- Experimental and numerical investigation on natural convection heat transfer in nanofluids
- Experimental studies in a single-phase parallel channel natural circulation system: preliminary results
- Calculation of PDS-XADS core closed-loop transfer function by using feedback with the lumped-model
- Calculation of nuclear reactivity using the generalised Adams-Bashforth-Moulton predictor corrector method
