Mini-Reactor Proliferation-Resistant Fuel with Burnable Gadolinia in Once-Through Operation Cycle Performance Verification
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Fuel Burnup Performance
3.2. Fission Power Profile and Uranium Depletion
3.3. Burnable Adbsorber Depletion
3.4. Neptunium and Plutonium Content
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Fuel assembly dimension | Square 21.5 cm × 21.5 cm |
Positions per assembly | Total: 289 Fuel pins: 264 Control rod guide thimble: 24 Instrumentation thimble: 1 (center) |
Fuel material | Uranium dioxide (UO2) |
Cladding material | Zircaloy-4 |
Gap filler | Helium gas |
Fuel average density | 95% theoretical density |
Moderator (coolant) | Water at 0.72 g/cm3 |
Enrichment | 7.5 wt.% 235U/U |
Fuel pellet diameter | 8.2 mm |
Pellet–clad gap | 0.082 mm |
Clad thickness | 0.572 mm |
Fuel rod outer diameter | 9.5 mm |
Fuel rod length | 135 cm |
Isotope | Abundance (at.%) | Cross Section (b) |
---|---|---|
152Gd | 0.20 | 700 |
154Gd | 2.18 | 60 |
155Gd | 14.80 | 61,000 |
156Gd | 20.47 | 2 |
157Gd | 15.65 | 255,000 |
158Gd | 24.84 | 2.4 |
160Gd | 21.86 | 1 |
Position | L1/L6 (Top/Bottom) | L2/L5 | L3/L4 (Center) |
---|---|---|---|
FA-0 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
FA-1 | 0 | 4.5 | 6.5 |
FA-2 | 0 | 3.5 | 6.0 |
FA-3 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
FA-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Burnable Absorbers | 154Gd | 155Gd | 156Gd | 157Gd | 158Gd | 160Gd |
Fission Products | 135Xe | 149Sm | ||||
Actinides | 235U | 238U | 237Np | 238Np | 238Pu | 239Pu |
240Pu | 241Pu | 242Pu | 241Am | 242Am | 242Cm |
Case B | FA-0 | FA-1 | FA-2 | FA-3 | FA-4 | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L1/L6 | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.64 |
L2/L5 | 1.53 | 1.27 | 1.10 | 0.79 | 0.65 | 1.07 |
L3/L4 | 1.84 | 1.53 | 1.32 | 0.64 | 0.77 | 1.28 |
Case D | FA-0 | FA-1 | FA-2 | FA-3 | FA-4 | Average |
L1/L6 | 0.55 | 1.52 | 1.60 | 1.63 | 1.38 | 1.34 |
L2/L5 | 0.86 | 0.40 | 0.44 | 1.62 | 1.39 | 0.94 |
L3/L4 | 0.53 | 0.20 | 0.24 | 1.40 | 1.21 | 0.72 |
Case B | L1/L6 | L2/L5 | L3/L4 | Case D | L1/L6 | L2/L5 | L3/L4 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FA-0 | 0.19 | 0.08 | 0.06 | FA-0 | 0.19 | 0.13 | 0.22 |
FA-1 | 0.25 | 0.12 | 0.10 | FA-1 | 0.18 | 0.24 | 0.44 |
FA-2 | 0.29 | 0.16 | 0.13 | FA-2 | 0.21 | 0.27 | 0.45 |
FA-3 | 0.40 | 0.25 | 0.21 | FA-3 | 0.28 | 0.21 | 0.25 |
FA-4 | 0.47 | 0.32 | 0.28 | FA-4 | 0.35 | 0.28 | 0.31 |
FA Ave. | 0.32 | 0.19 | 0.16 | FA Ave. | 0.24 | 0.22 | 0.33 |
Core Ave. | 0.22 ± 0.12 | Core Ave. | 0.27 ± 0.09 |
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Bess, J.D.; Chang, G.S.; Moo, P.; Foster, J. Mini-Reactor Proliferation-Resistant Fuel with Burnable Gadolinia in Once-Through Operation Cycle Performance Verification. J. Nucl. Eng. 2024, 5, 318-329. https://doi.org/10.3390/jne5030021
Bess JD, Chang GS, Moo P, Foster J. Mini-Reactor Proliferation-Resistant Fuel with Burnable Gadolinia in Once-Through Operation Cycle Performance Verification. Journal of Nuclear Engineering. 2024; 5(3):318-329. https://doi.org/10.3390/jne5030021
Chicago/Turabian StyleBess, John D., Gray S. Chang, Patrick Moo, and Julie Foster. 2024. "Mini-Reactor Proliferation-Resistant Fuel with Burnable Gadolinia in Once-Through Operation Cycle Performance Verification" Journal of Nuclear Engineering 5, no. 3: 318-329. https://doi.org/10.3390/jne5030021