Simulation of fuel cycles with minor actinide management using a fast burnup calculation tool

The paper presents a fast and flexible burnup model for fuel cycle simulations which is based on the description of the one-group cross-sections as analytic functions of the isotopic composition. This was accomplished by multi-dimensional regression based on the results of numerous core calculations. The developed model is able to determine the spent fuel composition in reasonable CPU time, and was integrated into a simplified fuel cycle model containing Gas Cooled Fast Reactors (GFR) and conventional light water reactors (LWRs). The fuel cycle simulations revealed an advantageous effect of increased minor actinide content in the GFR core on the fuel utilization parameters. In order to explore the processes that lay behind this effect the neutronics balance of the GFR was investigated in equilibrium cycle conditions. (author)