Investigation of fuel cycles containing Generation IV reactors and VVER-1200 reactors
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M. Halász
Abstract
Gen-IV fast reactors are envisaged to operate in closed fuel cycles due to their ability to breed their fuel from fertile feed and burn minor actinides produced by themselves or thermal reactors in the nuclear park. The optimization of such fuel cycle strategies requires detailed models, capable of simulating the transition from initial state to equilibrium. A fast and flexible burn-up scheme based on polynomial fitting of the one-group cross-sections, FITXS was used to develop burn-up models for the Gen-IV Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR), Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) and Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR), as well as a European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) and a VVER-1200 MOX fuel assembly. The burn-up models were integrated in a closed fuel cycle model containing Gen-IV LFR and MOX fueled VVER-1200 reactors, and different scenarios were investigated and compared concerning the reduction of transuranium inventories and the stabilization of the plutonium inventory. Results show that the LFR is capable of burning minor actinides from spent VVER-440 fuel and that transuranium inventories can be stabilized or reduced with a mixed fleet of LFR and MOX fueled VVER-1200 reactors.
Kurzfassung
Schnelle Reaktoren der Generation IV sind für den Betrieb mit geschlossenen Brennstoffkreisläufen vorgesehen, da sie in der Lage sind, ihren Brennstoff selbst zu erbrüten und selbst oder durch andere thermische Reaktoren produzierte minore Aktinide zu verbrennen. Die Optimierung solcher Brennstoffkreislaufstrategien erfordert detaillierte Berechnungsmodelle, die den Übergang vom Ausgangszustand zum Gleichgewicht simulieren können. FITXS ist ein schnelles und flexibles Berechnungsverfahren zur Bestimmung des Abbrands, das auf der polynomialen Anpassung der Ein-Gruppen-Querschnitte basiert. Mit FITXS wurden Abbrandmodelle für den gasgekühlten Gen-IV Fast Reactor (GFR), den bleigekühlten Fast Reactor (LFR) und den natriumgekühlten Fast Reactor (SFR) sowie einen European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) und ein WWER-1200 MOX-Brennelement entwickelt. Die Abbrandmodelle wurden in geschlossene Brennstoffkreislaufmodelle mit Gen-IV LFR- und MOX-betriebenen WWER-1200-Reaktoren integriert und verschiedene Szenarien hinsichtlich der Reduktion von Transuran-Beständen und der Stabilisierung des Plutonium-Bestands untersucht und verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der LFR in der Lage ist, kleinere Aktinide aus verbrauchtem VVER-440 Brennstoff zu verbrennen und dass Transuranbestände mit einer gemischten Flotte von mit LFR und MOX betriebenen VVER-1200 Reaktoren stabilisiert oder reduziert werden können.
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© 2018, Carl Hanser Verlag, München
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Editorial
- Research on the reactor physics and reactor safety of VVER reactors – AER Symposium 2017
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- SIMULATE5-HEX extension for VVER analyses
- Application of discontinuity factors and group constants generated by SERPENT in the KIKO3 DMG code
- “Full-Core” VVER-440 extended calculation benchmark
- Calculation of “full core” VVER-1000 benchmark
- Study of neutron-physical characteristics of VVER-1200 considering feedbacks using MCU Monte Carlo code
- Advantages of VVER-440 fuel cycles with new fuel assemblies
- A neutronics feasibility study on utilization of a thinned cladding fuel design at Loviisa NPP
- Investigation of fuel cycles containing Generation IV reactors and VVER-1200 reactors
- Calculations of spent fuel isotopic composition for fuel rod from VVER-440 fuel assembly benchmark using several evaluated nuclear data libraries
- Simulation of standard temperature control indications at the outlet of a fuel assembly of VVER1000 reactor of Rostov NPP unit No. 2
- Power transient calculations with VERONA
- Physical startup tests calculations for Dukovany NPP using MOBY-DICK macrocode
- Renewing the refueling neutron monitoring and reactivity measurement systems at Paks NPP
- Hot channel calculation methodologies in case of VVER-1000/1200 reactors
- Contribution to the validation of the VVER-1000 Temelin NPP computing model for the ATHLET/DYN3D coupled codes
- Simulation of a hypothetical MSLB core transient in VVER-1000 with several stuck rods
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Editorial
- Research on the reactor physics and reactor safety of VVER reactors – AER Symposium 2017
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- SIMULATE5-HEX extension for VVER analyses
- Application of discontinuity factors and group constants generated by SERPENT in the KIKO3 DMG code
- “Full-Core” VVER-440 extended calculation benchmark
- Calculation of “full core” VVER-1000 benchmark
- Study of neutron-physical characteristics of VVER-1200 considering feedbacks using MCU Monte Carlo code
- Advantages of VVER-440 fuel cycles with new fuel assemblies
- A neutronics feasibility study on utilization of a thinned cladding fuel design at Loviisa NPP
- Investigation of fuel cycles containing Generation IV reactors and VVER-1200 reactors
- Calculations of spent fuel isotopic composition for fuel rod from VVER-440 fuel assembly benchmark using several evaluated nuclear data libraries
- Simulation of standard temperature control indications at the outlet of a fuel assembly of VVER1000 reactor of Rostov NPP unit No. 2
- Power transient calculations with VERONA
- Physical startup tests calculations for Dukovany NPP using MOBY-DICK macrocode
- Renewing the refueling neutron monitoring and reactivity measurement systems at Paks NPP
- Hot channel calculation methodologies in case of VVER-1000/1200 reactors
- Contribution to the validation of the VVER-1000 Temelin NPP computing model for the ATHLET/DYN3D coupled codes
- Simulation of a hypothetical MSLB core transient in VVER-1000 with several stuck rods
