feasibility Study of thorium-plutonium Mixed oxide Assembly in Light Water Reactors

Faculty Science Year: 2019
Type of Publication: ZU Hosted Pages:
Authors:
Journal: scientific reports nature research Volume: Sci Rep 9, 16308 (2019)
Keywords : feasibility Study , thorium-plutonium Mixed oxide Assembly    
Abstract:
thorium-plutonium mixed oxide, (th,pu)oX, is currently used as an alternative fuel in the light water reactors in the world. The main objective of this paper is not only to show the benefts of using the thorium, but mainly to study how the way thorium is introduced in the fuel afects the neutron parameters. Among these benefts is the possibility of extending the operating cycle length and the reduction of the increasing stockpiles of plutonium. The frst investigated method is introducing thorium as (th,pu)oX. the second one is a homogeneous model of thorium plutonium oxide. it is carried out by adding an amount of plutonium separated from the uranium oxide cycle at 50 GWd/ton of heavy metal to the same amount of thorium. thus, we studied three assemblies; the reference assembly is uranium oxide of 4.2% enrichment containing borated water as a moderator of concentration 500 ppm (part per million) of B-10. The second is a (Th,Pu)OX and the third one is an assembly with homogenized thorium plutonium. All three assemblies are modeled using McnpX. A comparison is held between the results of the three lattices. The factors compared are the efective multiplication factor, the inventory of plutonium and uranium isotopes, and the depletion of B-10, the pin by pin power distribution at 0 and 60 GWd/ton and the relative pin radial power for the three lattices. The comparison is aimed to show the efect on the cycle length, the reduction in the Pu content and the power fattening across the assembly. It is found that the evolution of the multiplication factors shows a similar behaviour using (Th-Pu)OX fuel in the assembly as UOX cycle inspite of lowering the K-ef of fresh (Th-Pu)OX fuel (1.19847). The power fattening which is favorable in reactor operation is clearer in (Th,Pu)OX fuel. It is noticed that the mass of Pu-239 decreases by 1.07% from its initial value at the end of life. For homogeneous (Th,Pu)OX, the mass decreases by 0.0832%. The high power peaking factor for (Th,Pu)OX is not expected to cause signifcant efects during reactor operation but it can be reduced by adding burnable poisons.
   
     
 
       

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