Reactivity Runaway Reduction When Using Enriched Uranium in a Lead Fast Reactor

The possibilities for reactivity runaway reduction in a fast reactor when using enriched uranium are examined. Specifically, an approach supposing partial compensation of reactivity runaway by the addition of Np or Am, as consumable absorbers, into the starting load is analyzed. It is shown that fro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2018-06, Vol.124 (2), p.82-90
Main Authors: Volkov, I. A., Simonenko, V. A., Belonogov, M. N., Bochkareva, A. A., Sheremet’eva, U. F., Trapeznikov, M. A., Popov, I. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
DELAYED NEUTRON FRACTION
Energy industry
ENRICHED URANIUM
Fast nuclear reactors
FAST REACTORS
GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
Hadrons
Heavy Ions
Lead
MIXTURES
Nuclear Chemistry
Nuclear electric power generation
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear fuel cycle
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear Physics
NUCLEAR POWER
Nuclear power plants
Nuclear reactors
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Plutonium
POWER GENERATION
RBMK
REACTIVITY
Reactors
Reduction
Uranium
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Summary:The possibilities for reactivity runaway reduction in a fast reactor when using enriched uranium are examined. Specifically, an approach supposing partial compensation of reactivity runaway by the addition of Np or Am, as consumable absorbers, into the starting load is analyzed. It is shown that from the standpoint of the development of large-scale nuclear power generation based on BREST-type reactors the use of a uranium starting load becomes inexpedient in implementing this approach. A starting load consisting of a mixture of enriched uranium and plutonium from spent RBMK fuel is studied. The results indicate that it is possible to develop a core with reactivity runaway not exceeding the effective delayed-neutron fraction during the entire period of operation. The neutronics characteristics were calculated using the Arktika multigroup diffusion code. The RISK code was used to determine the change in the nuclide composition.
ISSN:1063-4258
1573-8205
DOI:10.1007/s10512-018-0379-4