Applications of ''candle'' burn-up strategy to several reactors

The new burn-up strategy CANDLE is proposed, and the calculation procedure for its equilibrium state is presented. Using this strategy, the power shape does not change as time passes, and the excess reactivity and reactivity coefficient are constant during burn-up. No control mechanism for the burn-up reactivity is required, and power control is very easy. The reactor lifetime can be prolonged by elongating the core height. This burn-up strategy can be applied to several kinds of reactors whose maximum neutron multiplication factor changes from less than unity to more than unity, and then to less than unity. In the present paper it is applied to some fast reactors, thus requiring some fissile material such as plutonium for the nuclear ignition region of the core, but only natural uranium is required for the other region of the initial reactor and for succeeding reactors. The drift speed of the burning region for this reactor is about 4 cm/year, which is a preferable value for designing a long-life reactor. The average burn-up of the spent fuel is about 40%; that is, equivalent to 40% utilisation of the natural uranium without the reprocessing and enrichment. (author)