Published June 2013 | Version v1
Journal article

Transmutation of MA in the high flux thermal reactor

  • 1. School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206 (China)
  • 2. Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xian, Shanxi 710024 (China)

Description

We study the MA transmutation characteristics in the high flux thermal reactor, our calculation shows that different MA nuclides may have the drastically different effects on keff, Np-237, Am-241 and Am-243 decrease keff greatly, Cm-244 affects the keff slightly, but Cm-245 boosts the keff significantly. The MA nuclides actually can act as the burnable poisons in the thermal reactors. The SCALE simulation shows that after 300-day-exposure in high flux thermal reactor the disappearance rate of Np-237, Am-241 and Am-243 are 73.7%, 98.1% and 82.8% respectively. The SCALE simulation results also show that the total transmutation rate of MA nuclides by fission which include direct and indirect fission after 300-day-exposure in the high flux thermal reactor is 6.3%. The SCALE simulation indicates at least 44.2% MA nuclides transmute to plutonium isotopes by various reactions and 63% of the Pu-238 in the MOX fuel is consumed during 300-day-exposure in this reactor

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.01.348

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.01.348;
PII
S0022-3115(13)00391-7;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Nuclear Materials
Journal Volume
437
Journal Issue
1-3
Journal Page Range
p. 95-101
ISSN
0022-3115
CODEN
JNUMAM

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.