Fuel balance in nuclear power with fast reactors without a uranium blanket

Atomic Energy ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-341
Author(s):  
V. V. Naumov ◽  
V. V. Orlov ◽  
V. S. Smirnov
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fast Reactors ◽  
Fuel Balance ◽  
Uranium Blanket

scholarly journals On the possibility to improve mixed uranium-plutonium fuel in fast reactors

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-135
Author(s):  
Vladimir A. Eliseev ◽  
Dmitry A. Klinov ◽  
Noël Camarcat ◽  
David Lemasson ◽  
Clement Mériot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Light Water Reactors ◽  
Fast Reactors ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Fuel Cycles ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Water Reactors ◽  
Operational Activities

Accumulation of plutonium extracted from the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) of light water reactors is one of the central problems in nuclear power. To reduce out-of-the-reactor Pu inventory, leading nuclear power countries (France, Japan) use plutonium in light water power reactors in the form of MOX fuel, with half of Pu fissioning in this fuel. The rest of Pu cannot be reused easily and efficiently in light water reactors because of the high content of even isotopes. Plutonium for which there are no potential consumers is accumulated. Unlike thermal reactors, fast reactors take plutonium of any isotopic composition. That makes it possible to improve plutonium isotopic composition and to reduce the fraction of even isotopes to the level that allows reuse of such plutonium in thermal reactors. The idea of changing the isotopic composition of Pu in fast reactors is well-known. The originality of the research lies in applying this idea to combine the fuel cycles of fast and thermal reactors. Pu isotopic composition can be improved by combining certain operational activities in order to supply fuel to thermal and fast reactors. Scientific and technological justification of the possibility will let Russian BN technologies and French MOX fuel technologies work in synergy with thermal reactors.

Moderate-Breeding Fast Reactors and the Structure of Nuclear Power

Atomic Energy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-76
Author(s):  
V. F. Tsibul’skii ◽  
E. A. Andrianova
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fast Reactors

scholarly journals Modular Lead-Bismuth Fast Reactors in Nuclear Power

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 2293-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgy Toshinsky ◽  
Vladimir Petrochenko
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fast Reactors

scholarly journals On Capabilities and Limitations of Current Fast Neutron Flux Monitoring Instrumentation for the Demo LFR ALFRED

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Lepore ◽  
Romolo Remetti ◽  
Mauro Cappelli
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Neutron Flux ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Reactor Power ◽  
Fast Reactors ◽  
Flux Monitoring

Among GEN IV projects for future nuclear power plants, lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) seem to be a very interesting solution due to their benefits in terms of fuel cycle, coolant safety, and waste management. The novelty of this matter causes some open issues about coolant chemical aspects, structural aspects, monitoring instrumentation, etc. Particularly, hard neutron flux spectra would make traditional neutron instrumentation unfit to all reactor conditions, i.e., source, intermediate, and power range. Identification of new models of nuclear instrumentation specialized for LFR neutron flux monitoring asks for an accurate evaluation of the environment the sensor will work in. In this study, thermal hydraulics and chemical conditions for the LFR core environment will be assumed, as the neutron flux will be studied extensively by the Monte Carlo transport code MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particles X-version). The core coolant’s high temperature drastically reduces the candidate instrumentation because only some kinds of fission chambers and self-powered neutron detectors can be operated in such an environment. This work aims at evaluating the capabilities of the available instrumentation (usually designed and tailored for sodium-cooled fast reactors) when exposed to the neutron spectrum derived from the Advanced Lead Fast Reactor European Demonstrator, a pool-type LFR project to demonstrate the feasibility of this technology into the European framework. This paper shows that such a class of instrumentation does follow the power evolution, but is not completely suitable to detect the whole range of reactor power, due to excessive burnup, damages, or gamma interferences. Some improvements are possible to increase the signal-to-noise ratio by optimizing each instrument in the range of reactor power, so to get the best solution. The design of some new detectors is proposed here together with a possible approach for prototyping and testing them by a fast reactor.

The Fast Breeder Reactor — Energy without Depletion of Natural Resources

1976 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-175
Author(s):  
R. D. Vaughan ◽  
A. A. Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Energy Production ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Western World ◽  
Fast Reactors ◽  
Generating Capacity ◽  
Fast Breeder Reactors ◽  
Breeder Reactors ◽  
Fuel Reprocessing

SYNOPSIS. Nuclear power should account for 20% of primary energy production in the Western world by the end of the century, but only if growth of generating capacity can be freed of the constraint of uranium supply. It is shown that, providing fast breeder reactors and their associated fuel reprocessing facilities are developed quickly, a substantial increase in nuclear capacity could be provided by fast reactors. The relative importance of various fuel cycle parameters is spelt out and brief accounts are given of the alternative fast reactors being developed to meet the requirements.

scholarly journals Molten Salt Reactors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Molten Salt ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Liquid Fuel ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Processing Plant ◽  
Fast Reactors ◽  
Melting Temperatures ◽  
Load Following ◽  
Reactor Types ◽  
Reactor Accidents

<p><br></p> <div> <table> <tr> <td> <p>Molten Salt Reactors</p> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <br> <div> <table> <tr> <td> <p>© Thomas J. Dolan, Member, IEEE 2021</p> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <br> <p><i>Abstract</i>— Nuclear power is advancing slowly because of public concerns about nuclear accidents, radioactive waste, fuel supply, cost, and nuclear proliferation. The development of molten salt reactors could alleviate most of these concerns and prevent water-cooled reactor accidents like those at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. The purpose of this article is to provide information about the potential advantages and problems of molten salt reactors. The coolants could be either <i>fluorides</i> or <i>chlorides</i>, operated above their melting temperatures, to avoid solidification, and well below their boiling temperatures, to prevent evaporation losses. “Fast” reactors use energetic fission neutrons, while “thermal” reactors use graphite to slow the neutrons down to thermal energies. We describe four reactor types: solid fuel thermal, liquid fuel thermal, liquid fuel fast, and “stable salt” fast reactors (liquid fuel in tubes). We discuss load following, reactor design projects, and development problems. Liquid fuel reactors will require a chemical processing plant to adjust fissile fuel inventory, fission products, actinides, and corrosivity in a hot, highly-radioactive environment. </p>

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