HOU Jingjing, WANG Shiqing, CAI Yun, et al. Conceptual core design of small traveling wave reactors based on coupled code of MCNP-ORIGEN2[J]. Nuclear techniques, 2015, 38(8): 080603
DOI:
HOU Jingjing, WANG Shiqing, CAI Yun, et al. Conceptual core design of small traveling wave reactors based on coupled code of MCNP-ORIGEN2[J]. Nuclear techniques, 2015, 38(8): 080603 DOI: 10.11889/j.0253-3219.2015.hjs.38.080603.
Conceptual core design of small traveling wave reactors based on coupled code of MCNP-ORIGEN2
Background: Traveling wave reactor is a new-type advanced nuclear reactor utilizing depleted uranium or natural uranium as the fuel. However
there are few researches on the small traveling wave reactor with radial shuffling. Purpose: This study aims to design a small traveling wave reactor core and the corresponding radial shuffling schemeto achieve a long service life of 30 a at least and deep burnup of assemblies. Methods: A coupled code of MCNP code and ORIGEN2 was utilized as the means of core design. A conceptual core design of small traveling wave reactor was studied with emphasis on the influence factors of enrichment and distribution of fuel assemblies to the physical parameters of reactor
based on the China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR). Results: Study on the enrichment of burning assemblies shows that the small reactor needs appropriately enrichment. It cannot be critical if enrichment is too low and the breeding of the core decreases if it is too high. Compared the low leakage with the board type layout
it reveals that both of the power distribution are similar while the breeding assemblies in the latter own better breeding characteristic. Finally
the reactivity of the designed core varies slightly in the whole life and the discharge burnups of different fuel assemblies are relatively close to each other and the average burnup is about 238 MWD/kgHM. Conclusion: A small traveling wave reactor core with 30-a life is designed. The shuffling schemes with 8 a makes the discharge burnup of assemblies uniform and deep relatively. Abstract