Published June 2007 | Version v1
Journal article

Study on MAs transmutation of accelerator-driven system sodium-cooled fast reactor loaded with metallic fuel

  • 1. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China). Inst. of Nuclear and New Energy Technology

Description

Through the analysis of the effect of heavy metal actinides on the effective multiplication constant (keff) of the core in accelerator-driven system (ADS) sodium-cooled fast reactor loaded with metallic fuel, we gave the method for determining fuel components. the characteristics of minor actinides (MAs) transmutation was analyzed in detail. 3D burn-up code COUPLE, which couples MCNP4c3 and ORIGEN2, was applied to the neutron simulation and burn up calculation. The results of optimized scheme shows that adjusting the proportion of 239Pu and maintaining the value during the burn-up cycle is an efficient method of designing keff and keeping stable during the burn-up cycle. Spallation neutrons lead to the neutron spectrum harder at inner core than that at outer core. It is in favor of improving MA's fission cross sections and the capture-to-fission ratio. The total MAs transmutation support ratio 8.3 achieves excellent transmutation effect. For higher flux at inner core leads to obvious differences on transmutation efficiency,only disposing MAs at inner core is in favor of decreasing the loading mass and improving MAs transmutation effect. (authors)

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Nuclear Power Engineering
Journal Volume
28
Journal Issue
3
Journal Page Range
p. 14-18, 55
ISSN
0258-0926

Optional Information

Notes
7 figs., 4 tabs., 5 refs.