压水堆环境下惰性基质燃料物理参数研究

为研究惰性基质燃料(IMF)在压水堆(PWR)中应用的可行性,计算比较了PuO2+ZrO2+MgO和PuO2+ThO2 2种典型IMF的栅格无限增殖系数kinf、燃料温度系数Dc和慢化剂温度系数MTC随燃料中PuO2体积分数的变化规律,得到满足Dc、MTC为负的要求下IMF成分的初步可行区间。     

超临界水冷堆MOX燃料特性分析

针对超临界水冷堆组件,采用不同Pu含量的MOX燃料进行组件计算,得到不同燃料条件下的燃耗深度、功率分布因子、慢化剂温度反应性系数等结果,并对比分析在超临界水冷堆中应用MOX燃料与应用UO2燃料对组件性能的影响,以及不同Pu含量MOX燃料间的性能区别。分析结果表明,在超临界水冷堆设计中,应用MOX燃料与应用UO2燃料有相似的功率分布,应用MOX燃料可以增加燃耗深度,并有良好的慢化剂温度反应性系数。经过合理设计的MOX燃料可较好应用于超临界水冷堆中,且产生更好的性能。     

百万千瓦级环形MOX燃料堆芯设计

对环形UO2燃料及环形MOX燃料组件参数的计算方法进行了研究。设计了包含193盒环形UO2和MOX燃料组件的混合型长周期(18个月)堆芯方案。对设计的堆芯的重要物理参数进行了分析,并对各循环进行了燃耗计算。结果表明,装载约30%MOX组件的堆芯可在百万千瓦功率下实现长周期换料。堆芯从初装载可安全过渡到平衡循环,各循环的重要物理参数均满足设计要求,说明设计的堆芯及燃料管理方案是安全可行的。     

事故容错燃料UO_2-BeO应用于压水堆燃料组件的中子学分析

本文基于中子学角度对典型压水堆中的事故容错燃料UO2-BeO设计进行分析。选取西屋公司的2D燃料组件问题,使用组件计算程序ALPHA对不同体积分数BeO的燃料进行计算。临界及燃耗计算结果表明:在燃料中加入BeO,一方面由于中子吸收,导致反应性惩罚;另一方面由于BeO的慢化作用,导致反应性补偿,两个相反影响相互竞争共同决定UO2-BeO燃料带来的综合效应。由反应性匹配基准可知,适量增加235 U富集度对维持反应堆整个运行循环的反应性平衡十分必要,其中基准1相对于基准2和3需对燃料富集度进行较大调整才可满足寿期末得到的kinf与参考组件一致。由反应性扰动分析结果可知,当燃料中加入BeO后,燃料温度系数随BeO体积分数的变化基本保持恒定,慢化剂温度系数降低,空泡系数增高。     

多重钚循环

【英国《国际核工程》2003年2月刊报道】 核能机构实施了一项旨在确定在压水堆(PWR)中钚的有效循环次数的标准评估作业,结果刊登在《钚循环物理》上。 目前,以MOX燃料的形式进行钚循环利用已在商业规模上得到采用。MOX燃料的卸料燃耗基本上与UO2燃料相同。因此,目前PWR使用的MOX燃料将在燃耗达到40～45 MWd/kg时卸出。达到这一燃耗所需的初始钚含量随着钚源的不同而变化。MOX在PWR中的使用经验是可以肯定的,没有突出的操作或安全问题需要解决。 然而,情况并非一成不变。最基本的变化是卸料燃耗在不断上升,以及对卸出的MOX燃料…     

MOX燃料组件装入现役M310堆芯对堆芯核设计的影响研究

国际上的MOX燃料技术目前已较为成熟,且已有在压水堆中运行的工程经验。本文对MOX燃料组件的中子学性能进行了分析,对其在我国现役M310堆芯应用的可行性进行了研究,得到了M310堆芯由全部使用UO2燃料组件向使用30%的MOX燃料组件过渡的堆芯燃料管理方案,并对使用MOX燃料组件的堆芯的部分中子学参数进行了初步分析。结果表明:使用30%的MOX燃料组件的堆芯可达到与全UO2堆芯相当的循环长度;堆芯反应性控制能力可满足要求;慢化剂温度系数、Doppler温度系数、Doppler功率系数、氙和钐的动态特性均趋向使堆芯运行更加安全和稳定。本文的研究结果可为MOX燃料在M310堆芯中应用的进一步研究提供参考。     

聚变-裂变混合堆设计研究

利用MCNP5和MONK9A程序对聚变驱动裂变混合堆进行了初步研究,在等离子体第1壁外侧依次包覆长方体形状的燃料组件和产氚组件,形成裂变堆芯包层和产氚区.对分别装载贫铀、天然铀、贫铀MOX和天然铀MOX等4种燃料的混合堆进行了研究分析,其中,后两种燃料在整个运行寿期内的功率放大倍数和氚增殖比满足设计要求.通过随燃耗变化的同位素含量分析,初步探讨了混合堆的铀-钚燃耗循环策略.     

烧结二氧化铀燃料裂变气体肿胀的数值模拟研究

建立低温条件下烧结二氧化铀燃料(简称UO2燃料)中裂变气体的肿胀计算模型,采用有限差分方法编写计算程序,定量计算不同燃耗和温度条件下UO2燃料中固溶态的裂变气体份额、裂变气体气泡的密度与平均半径以及它们对燃料肿胀的贡献.计算表明,该模型能用于预测低温条件下UO2燃料中裂变气体所导致的肿胀随燃耗的变化规律.     

事故容错燃料UO2-BeO应用于压水堆燃料组件的中子学分析

本文基于中子学角度对典型压水堆中的事故容错燃料UO₂-BeO设计进行分析。选取西屋公司的2D燃料组件问题,使用组件计算程序ALPHA对不同体积分数BeO的燃料进行计算。临界及燃耗计算结果表明：在燃料中加入BeO,一方面由于中子吸收,导致反应性惩罚;另一方面由于BeO的慢化作用,导致反应性补偿,两个相反影响相互竞争共同决定UO₂-BeO燃料带来的综合效应。由反应性匹配基准可知,适量增加²³⁵U富集度对维持反应堆整个运行循环的反应性平衡十分必要,其中基准1相对于基准2和3需对燃料富集度进行较大调整才可满足寿期末得到的k_inf与参考组件一致。由反应性扰动分析结果可知,当燃料中加入BeO后,燃料温度系数随BeO体积分数的变化基本保持恒定,慢化剂温度系数降低,空泡系数增高。     

RGPu与WGPu驱动条件下钍基S&B型燃料组件特性分析

武器级钚(WGPu)与反应堆级钚(RGPu)可以分别从废旧拆除的核武器中以及轻水堆乏燃料中获得,二者均可以作为钍基燃料的驱动燃料。为对上述2种驱动燃料特性进行研究,利用DRAGONV4程序以及JEFF3.11-295群截面库进行反应堆物理计算。采用修正4因子公式对WGPu与RGPu驱动条件下的SB 6+3型组件初始无限增殖系数进行分析。同时,为确定WGPu与RGPu增殖性能最优的空间分离尺度和钍含量,进一步对比了不同空间分离尺度的SB型组件和MOX组件寿期末的233U质量。结果表明,钍含量相同时,WGPu具有较高的热中子裂变系数,导致其初始无限增殖系数和燃耗深度均大于RGPu,并且不随钍含量的大小而改变。RGPu作为驱动燃料的SB5+4-70%Th组件具有最优增殖性能。WGPu作为驱动燃料时,MOX型组件233U质量大于SB型组件,并在70%钍含量时达到最大值。     

Radiotoxicity hazard of inert matrix fuels after burning minor actinides in light water reactors

Ingestion radiotoxicity hazard index of inert matrix spent fuels are investigated after burning minor actinide (MA) isotopes in LWRs and compared with the hazard index of MOX and MA burning MOX (MOX+MA) spent fuels. As U-free fuels, ROX: (PuO₂+ZrO₂) and TOX: (PuO₂+ThO₂), are considered, in which MA's are added as oxides. The radiotoxicity hazard index of ROX+MA spent fuel is less than that of TOX+MA and MOX+MA spent fuels due to the lower density of actinides in spent fuel. Some of cooling years the toxic yield of ROX+MA spent fuel is even less than that of MOX spent fuel, if the initial loaded MA in ROX is about 0.5 at %.     

Radiotoxicity hazard of U-free PuO2+ZrO2 and PuO2+ThO2 spent fuels in LWR

The radiotoxicity hazard of U-free Rock-like oxide: ROX (PuO₂+ZrO₂) and Thorium oxide: TOX (PuO₂+ThO₂) LWR spent fuels is investigated and radiotoxicity hazard of MOX spent fuel is considered as a reference case. The long-term ingestion radiotoxicity hazard of ROX spent fuel is one third and nearly one fourth of that of TOX and MOX spent fuels, respectively. This is because the discharged Pu and long lived Np in ROX fuel is less than that of TOX and MOX fuels. In TOX fuel, discharged Pu and MA are lower than that of MOX fuel but the long-term radiotoxicity hazard of spent fuel is nearly the same as MOX spent fuel. At the cooling 10⁵ years, the radiotoxicity hazard of TOX spent fuel is approximately ten and three times higher than that of ROX and MOX spent fuels, respectively due to higher toxic contribution of ²²⁹Th in TOX spent fuel.     

Plutonium rock-like fuel burning in LWR

Plutonium rock-like oxide(ROX) fuel burning in LWR has been studied. To improve reactivity insertion accident(RIA) behavior of zirconia(ZrO₂) type ROX(Zr-ROX) fuel PWR, small negative Doppler reactivity coefficient of the fuel is increased with the additives such as 24mol% ThO₂ or 15mol% UO₂ in the fuel. There is also an approach of a heterogeneous core with 1/3 ROX and 2/3 UO₂ fuels. From the loss of coolant accident(LOCA) analysis of Zr-ROX fuel PWR, the importance to decrease the large power peaking is shown. The ThO₂ additive can make it easier to flatten the power distribution in the core, and improve not only the reactivity accident behavior but also the LOCA behavior. The power flattening can also be achieved by reducing the content of Gd₂O₃ mixed in ZrO₂ and adding Er₂O₃ in place.

In the case of weapons-grade plutonium burning, the plutonium transmutation rate in Zr-ROX fuel LWR is about 0.9tonne/GWe/300 days, and far larger than that of full MOX LWR. The additives of ThO₂ or UO₂ decrease the plutonium transmutation rate, yet it is still larger than that in full MOX LWR by more than 2 times. Even in 1/3 Zr-ROX fuel core, the transmutation rate is comparable with the full MOX case. Total amount of discharged plutonium becomes less than 1/4 to 1/6 in these cores.     

Design of a gadolinia bearing mixed-oxide fuel assembly for pressurized water reactors

A study on neutronics design of a gadolinia (Gd₂O₃) bearing mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assembly (MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly) was performed for the purpose of suppressing the use of fresh lumped burnable poison rods (BPRs). The MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly investigated consists of MOX and UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) fuel rods, which have already been verified through both fabrication and irradiation experiences. In all, 16 UO₂ (10 wt% Gd₂O₃) fuel rods are located at every corner and the peripheral region of the MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly in order to reduce the power peaking of MOX fuel rods due to the thermal neutron inflow, and to reduce the reactivity penalty at the end of cycle (EOC). Since fresh BPRs are not expected to be inserted and UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) fuel rods are located at every corner of the assembly, the number of splits in plutonium (Pu) content can be only two, which is less than three splits required for a standard MOX assembly. Core characteristics of an equilibrium core loaded with MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assemblies are evaluated and it is verified that adoption of the MOX-UO₂ (Gd₂O₃) assembly is effective to avoid the use of fresh BPRs with securing both the core safety and cycle length. The simplication of the splits in Pu content is also supposed to be beneficial, since it has the possibility of reduce MOX fuel fabrication costs.     

Current status of researches on the plutonium rock-like oxide fuel and its burning in light water reactors

Intention of the ROX-LWR system research is to provide an option for utilization or disposition of surplus plutonium. Researches on inert matrix materials and irradiation performance shows that the most favorable candidate for the ROX fuel is a particle dispersed fuel where small particles consisted of yttria stabilized zirconia, PuO₂ and some additives are homogeneously dispersed in spinel matrix. Reactor safety analyses show that the ROX fueled PWR core has nearly the same performability as the existing UO₂ fueled PWR under both reactivity initiated accidents and loss of coolant accidents.     

Dynamics aspects of plutonium burning in an inert matrix

Burnup calculations have been performed on a mini fuel assembly containing 21 fuel rods and four water holes at the corners. The fuel rod positions were filled with 4% enriched UO₂ fuel and with either reactor grade or weapons grade plutonium mixed in an inert matrix. The ratio between the UO₂ and the IMF rods was varied to investigate the influence of the UO₂ fuel on the dynamics of the assembly. From a simple reactor model with one delayed neutron group and first-order fuel and temperature feedback mechanisms, the linear transfer function from reactivity to reactor power was calculated that was subsequently used in a root-locus analysis. From this, it is concluded that only 20% of the fuel rods need to be made of UO₂ to have a fuel that is linearly stable up to 1000 days of irradiation.     

Composite materials and systems as alternative inert matrix fuel to dispose civil or weapon grade plutonium in light water reactors.

To complete the IMF cercer studies on the problem of Pu utilization in LWRs, a cermet fuel approach is presented. The advantages of cermet fuel are associated with high heat conductivity, ability to retain the fission products and a well-developed fabrication process. Attractive possibilities for the creation of new cermet fuels and cermet fuel elements are also presented. R&D activity aimed at the development of cermet fuel element with PuO₂-Zr composite was undertaken. As a result of this activity comparative analysis of thermodynamic calculations for UO₂-Zr and PuO₂-Zr composites was carried out, as well as an assessment of Pu loading and preliminary thermal calculations. As a consequence, it was concluded that the PuO₂-Zr cermet system could be considered as a possible variant of new cermet fuel and cermet fuel element for Pu burning in LWRs.