TAILIEUCHUNG - Three-component U-Pu-Th fuel for plutonium irradiation in heavy water reactors

This paper discusses concepts for three-component fuel bundles containing plutonium, uranium and thorium for use in pressurised heavy water reactors, and cases for and against implementation of such a nuclear energy system in the United Kingdom. | Three-component U-Pu-Th fuel for plutonium irradiation in heavy water reactors EPJ Nuclear Sci. Technol. 2 29 2016 Nuclear Sciences R. Peel et al. published by EDP Sciences 2016 amp Technologies DOI epjn 2016022 Available online at http REGULAR ARTICLE Three-component U-Pu-Th fuel for plutonium irradiation in heavy water reactors Ross Peel1 Luc Van Den Durpel2 Mark Daniel Ogden3 and Karl Rhys Whittle4 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Sheffield Sir Robert Hadfield Building Mappin Street Sheffield S1 3JD UK 2 Waasmunster Belgium 3 University of Sheffield Sheffield UK 4 University of Liverpool Liverpool UK Received 6 October 2015 Received in final form 15 March 2016 Accepted 8 April 2016 Abstract. This paper discusses concepts for three-component fuel bundles containing plutonium uranium and thorium for use in pressurised heavy water reactors and cases for and against implementation of such a nuclear energy system in the United Kingdom. Heavy water reactors are used extensively in Canada and are deploying within India and China whilst the UK is considering the use of heavy water reactors to manage its plutonium inventory of 140 tonnes. The UK heavy water reactor proposal uses a mixed oxide MOX fuel of plutonium in depleted uranium within the enhanced CANDU-6 EC-6 reactor. This work proposes an alternative heterogeneous fuel concept based on the same reactor and CANFLEX fuel bundle with eight large-diameter fuel elements loaded with natural thorium oxide and 35 small-diameter fuel elements loaded with a MOX of plutonium and reprocessed uranium stocks from UK MAGNOX and AGR reactors. Indicative neutronic calculations suggest that such a fuel would be neutronically feasible. A similar MOX may alternatively be fabricated from reprocessed 2 R. Peel et al. EPJ Nuclear Sci. Technol. 2 29 2016 Table 1. Selected data on UK uranic materials inventories as of 1st April 2013 6 7 . Material Owner Estimated quantity te

• Năng lượng
• Three component fuel bundles containing plutonium
• Pressurised heavy water reactors
• Nuclear energy system
• Three component U Pu Th fuel
• AREVA EPR reactor