Analysis of BWR lattices to recycle americium

This study was carried out to assess the ability to eliminate meaningful quantities of americium in a primarily thermal neutron flux by 'spiking' modern BWR fuel with this minor actinide (MA). The studies carried out so far include the simulation of modern 10 x 10 BWR lattices employing the Westinghouse lattice physics code PHOENIX-4 alongside validation studies using MCNP5 models of the same lattices that were spatially depleted via the MONTEBURNS code coupling to ORIGEN. When considering the total inventory of minor actinides in Am-spiked pins, excluding isotopes of uranium and plutonium, the results indicate that a reduction of approximately 50% or more in the total mass inventory of these minor actinides is viable within the selected pins. Therefore, these preliminary results have encouraged the extension of this work to the development of improved lattice designs to help optimize the transmutation rates as well as absolute MA inventory reductions. The ultimate goal being to design batches of these advanced BWR bundles alongside multi-cycle core reload strategies. (authors)