TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimisation of composite metallic fuel for minor actinide transmutation in an accelerator-driven system
AU - Uyttenhove, Wim
AU - Sobolev, Vitaly
AU - Maschek, Werner
N1 - Score = 10
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - A potential option for neutralization of minor actinides (MA) accumulated in spent nuclear fuel of light water reactors (LWRs) is their transmutation in dedicated accelerator-driven systems (ADS). A promising fuel candidate dedicated to MA transmutation is a CERMET composite with Mo metal matrix and (Pu, Np, Am, Cm)O_2x fuel particles. Results of optimisation studies of the CERMET fuel targeting to increasing the MA transmutation efficiency of the EFIT (European Facility for Industrial Transmutation) core are presented. In the adopted strategy of MA burning the plutonium (Pu) balance of the core is minimized, allowing a reduction in the reactivity swing and the peak power form-factor deviation and an extension of the cycle duration. The MA/Pu ratio is used as a variable for the fuel optimisation studies. The efficiency of MA transmutation is close to the foreseen theoretical value of 42 kg TW1 h1 when level of Pu in the actinide mixture is about 40 wt.%. The obtained results are compared with the reference case of the EFIT core loaded with the composite CERCER fuel, where fuel particles are incorporated in a ceramic magnesia matrix. The results of this study offer additional information for the EFIT fuel selection.
AB - A potential option for neutralization of minor actinides (MA) accumulated in spent nuclear fuel of light water reactors (LWRs) is their transmutation in dedicated accelerator-driven systems (ADS). A promising fuel candidate dedicated to MA transmutation is a CERMET composite with Mo metal matrix and (Pu, Np, Am, Cm)O_2x fuel particles. Results of optimisation studies of the CERMET fuel targeting to increasing the MA transmutation efficiency of the EFIT (European Facility for Industrial Transmutation) core are presented. In the adopted strategy of MA burning the plutonium (Pu) balance of the core is minimized, allowing a reduction in the reactivity swing and the peak power form-factor deviation and an extension of the cycle duration. The MA/Pu ratio is used as a variable for the fuel optimisation studies. The efficiency of MA transmutation is close to the foreseen theoretical value of 42 kg TW1 h1 when level of Pu in the actinide mixture is about 40 wt.%. The obtained results are compared with the reference case of the EFIT core loaded with the composite CERCER fuel, where fuel particles are incorporated in a ceramic magnesia matrix. The results of this study offer additional information for the EFIT fuel selection.
KW - minor actinides
KW - transmutation
KW - fuel
KW - CERMET
KW - accelerator-driven system
KW - modelling
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_110369
UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/8245
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2010.11.093
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2010.11.093
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 416
SP - 192
EP - 199
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
IS - 1-2
T2 - European Material Research Society Conference
Y2 - 7 June 2010 through 11 June 2010
ER -