Download or read book Feasibility Study on AFR 100 Fuel Conversion from Uranium based Fuel to Thorium based Fuel written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although thorium has long been considered as an alternative to uranium-based fuels, most of the reactors built to-date have been fueled with uranium-based fuel with the exception of a few reactors. The decision to use uranium-based fuels was initially made based on the technology maturity compared to thorium-based fuels. As a result of this experience, lot of knowledge and data have been accumulated for uranium-based fuels that made it the predominant nuclear fuel type for extant nuclear power. However, following the recent concerns about the extent and availability of uranium resources, thorium-based fuels have regained significant interest worldwide. Thorium is more abundant than uranium and can be readily exploited in many countries and thus is now seen as a possible alternative. As thorium-based fuel technologies mature, fuel conversion from uranium to thorium is expected to become a major interest in both thermal and fast reactors. In this study the feasibility of fuel conversion in a fast reactor is assessed and several possible approaches are proposed. The analyses are performed using the Advanced Fast Reactor (AFR-100) design, a fast reactor core concept recently developed by ANL. The AFR-100 is a small 100 MW{sub e} reactor developed under the US-DOE program relying on innovative fast reactor technologies and advanced structural and cladding materials. It was designed to be inherently safe and offers sufficient margins with respect to the fuel melting temperature and the fuel-cladding eutectic temperature when using U-10Zr binary metal fuel. Thorium-based metal fuel was preferred to other thorium fuel forms because of its higher heavy metal density and it does not need to be alloyed with zirconium to reduce its radiation swelling. The various approaches explored cover the use of pure thorium fuel as well as the use of thorium mixed with transuranics (TRU). Sensitivity studies were performed for the different scenarios envisioned in order to determine the best core performance characteristics for each of them. With the exception of the fuel type and enrichment, the reference AFR-100 core design characteristics were kept unchanged, including the general core layout and dimensions, assembly dimensions, materials and power rating. In addition, the mass of 235U required was kept within a reasonable range from that of the reference AFR-100 design. The core performance characteristics, kinetics parameters and reactivity feedback coefficients were calculated using the ANL suite of fast reactor analysis code systems. Orifice design calculations and the steady-state thermal-hydraulic analyses were performed using the SE2-ANL code. The thermal margins were evaluated by comparing the peak temperatures to the design limits for parameters such as the fuel melting temperature and the fuel-cladding eutectic temperature. The inherent safety features of AFR-100 cores proposed were assessed using the integral reactivity parameters of the quasi-static reactivity balance analysis. The design objectives and requirements, the computation methods used as well as a description of the core concept are provided in Section 2. The three major approaches considered are introduced in Section 3 and the neutronics performances of those approaches are discussed in the same section. The orifice zoning strategies used and the steady-state thermal-hydraulic performance are provided in Section 4. The kinetics and reactivity coefficients, including the inherent safety characteristics, are provided in Section 5, and the Conclusions in Section 6. Other scenarios studied and sensitivity studies are provided in the Appendix section.
Download or read book Thorium Fuel Cycle written by Fouad Sabry and published by One Billion Knowledgeable. This book was released on 2022-10-15 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What Is Thorium Fuel Cycle The fertile material in the thorium fuel cycle is an isotope of thorium called 232Th, and the thorium fuel cycle itself is a kind of nuclear fuel cycle. Within the reactor, 232Th is converted into the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233U, which is then used as the fuel for the nuclear reactor. Natural thorium, in contrast to natural uranium, only contains minute quantities of fissile material, which is insufficient to kick off a nuclear chain reaction. In order to kickstart the fuel cycle, either more fissile material or an other neutron source is required. 233U is created when 232Th, which is powered by thorium, absorbs neutrons in a reactor. This is analogous to the process that occurs in uranium breeder reactors, in which fertile 238U is subjected to neutron absorption in order to produce fissile 239Pu. The produced 233U either fissions in situ or is chemically removed from the old nuclear fuel and converted into new nuclear fuel, depending on the architecture of the reactor and the fuel cycle. Fissioning in situ is the more efficient method. How You Will Benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Thorium fuel cycle Chapter 2: Nuclear reactor Chapter 3: Radioactive waste Chapter 4: Fissile material Chapter 5: Nuclear fuel cycle Chapter 6: MOX fuel Chapter 7: Breeder reactor Chapter 8: Uranium-238 Chapter 9: Energy amplifier Chapter 10: Subcritical reactor Chapter 11: Integral fast reactor Chapter 12: Fertile material Chapter 13: Uranium-233 Chapter 14: Plutonium-239 Chapter 15: Isotopes of uranium Chapter 16: Isotopes of plutonium Chapter 17: Weapons-grade nuclear material Chapter 18: Uranium-236 Chapter 19: Burnup Chapter 20: Liquid fluoride thorium reactor Chapter 21: Nuclear transmutation (II) Answering the public top questions about thorium fuel cycle. (III) Real world examples for the usage of thorium fuel cycle in many fields. (IV) 17 appendices to explain, briefly, 266 emerging technologies in each industry to have 360-degree full understanding of thorium fuel cycle' technologies. Who This Book Is For Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of thorium fuel cycle.
Download or read book Thorium based Mixed Oxide Fuel in a Pressurized Water Reactor A Feasibility Analysis with MCNP written by Lucas Powelson Tucker and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This dissertation investigates techniques for spent fuel monitoring, and assesses the feasibility of using a thorium-based mixed oxide fuel in a conventional pressurized water reactor for plutonium disposition. Both non-paralyzing and paralyzing dead-time calculations were performed for the Portable Spectroscopic Fast Neutron Probe (N-Probe), which can be used for spent fuel interrogation. Also, a Canberra 3He neutron detector's dead-time was estimated using a combination of subcritical assembly measurements and MCNP simulations. Next, a multitude of fission products were identified as candidates for burnup and spent fuel analysis of irradiated mixed oxide fuel. The best isotopes for these applications were identified by investigating half-life, photon energy, fission yield, branching ratios, production modes, thermal neutron absorption cross section and fuel matrix diffusivity. 132I and 97Nb were identified as good candidates for MOX fuel on-line burnup analysis. In the second, and most important, part of this work, the feasibility of utilizing ThMOX fuel in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) was first examined under steady-state, beginning of life conditions. Using a three-dimensional MCNP model of a Westinghouse-type 17x17 PWR, several fuel compositions and configurations of a one-third ThMOX core were compared to a 100% UO2 core. A blanket-type arrangement of 5.5 wt% PuO2 was determined to be the best candidate for further analysis. Next, the safety of the ThMOX configuration was evaluated through three cycles of burnup at several using the following metrics: axial and radial nuclear hot channel factors, moderator and fuel temperature coefficients, delayed neutron fraction, and shutdown margin. Additionally, the performance of the ThMOX configuration was assessed by tracking cycle length, plutonium destroyed, and fission product poison concentration"--Abstract, page iv.
Download or read book Thorium Energy for the Future written by A.K. Nayak and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-01-30 with total page 533 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book comprises selected proceedings of the ThEC15 conference. The book presents research findings on various facets of thorium energy, including exploration and mining, thermo-physical and chemical properties of fuels, reactor physics, challenges in fuel fabrication, thorium fuel cycles, thermal hydraulics and safety, material challenges, irradiation experiences, and issues and challenges for the design of advanced thorium fueled reactors. Thorium is more abundant than uranium and has the potential to provide energy to the world for centuries if used in a closed fuel cycle. As such, technologies for using thorium for power generation in nuclear reactors are being developed worldwide. Since there is a strong global thrust towards designing nuclear reactors with thorium-based fuel, this book will be of particular interest to nuclear scientists, reactor designers, regulators, academics and policymakers.
Download or read book High quality Thorium TRISO Fuel Performance in HTGRs written by and published by Forschungszentrum Jülich. This book was released on 2013 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Analysis of Thorium and Uranium Based Nuclear Fuel Options in Fluoride Salt cooled High temperature Reactor written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Denatured Thorium Fuel Cycle a Preliminary Feasibility Study written by Keith Kutcher and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Performance Analysis Review of Thorium TRISO Coated Particles During Manufacture Irradiation and Accident Condition Heating Tests written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by IAEA Tecdoc. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication is the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project on near term and promising long term options for deployment of thorium based nuclear energy. It is based on the compilation and analysis of available results on thorium tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel performance in manufacturing during irradiation and accident condition heating tests. As a result, the project participants concluded that the performance statistics for the high enriched thoria urania TRISO fuel system are in perfect concert with those state of the art requirements for present day high temperature reactor concepts.
Download or read book Near Term and Promising Long Term Options for the Deployment of Thorium Based Nuclear Energy written by IAEA. and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This publication summarizes the results of an IAEA coordinated research project focused on options for the deployment of thorium based nuclear energy. The enhanced capabilities of thorium based fuels for high conversion ratio fuel cycles, improved inherent safety characteristics, reduced minor actinide production are presented. The report highlights reactor systems for thorium deployment, thorium fuel cycle implementation scenarios, thermo-physical properties and irradiation performances of thorium based oxide fuels."--Publisher's description.
Download or read book Thorium Fuel Cycle written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a critical review of the thorium fuel cycle: potential benefits and challenges in the thorium fuel cycle, mainly based on the latest developments at the front end of the fuel cycle, applying thorium fuel cycle options, and at the back end of the thorium fuel cycle.
Download or read book Analysis of the Spatial Separation Effects of Thorium Uranium Fuels in Block Type HTRs written by Ming Ding and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the rapid development of nuclear energy, thorium has been gaining attention because of its abundant reserves and excellent physical properties. Compared with light-water reactors, block-type high temperature gas cooled reactors (HTRs) are a better choice for thorium-based fuel for higher burnup and harder neutron spectrum. When using thorium in block-type HTRs, the composition and spatial distribution of thorium/uranium fuels are two determined factors of nuclear performance. Four spatial separation levels of thorium/uranium fuels, no separation level, TRISO level, channel level, and block level, are defined for the block-type thorium-fueled HTRs. A two-step calculation scheme was used to obtain the neutronic performance, including the initial inventory of U-235, effective multiplication factor, and average conversion ratio. Based on these data, the fuel cycle cost of different spatial separation levels can be calculated by the levelized lifetime cost method as a function of thorium content. The fuel cycle cost changes with the same trend as the initial inventory of U-235 in the reactor cores because the latter determines 70% of the total cost. When the thorium content is constant, the initial inventory of U-235 decreases with the increase of the spatial separation level because spatial self-shielding effect is strengthened by the latter.
Download or read book Critical Assessment of Thorium Reactor Technology written by Robert A. Drenkhahn and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thorium-based fuels for nuclear reactors are being considered for use with current and future designs in both large and small-scale energy production. Thorium-232 is as abundant on Earth as lead, far more common than all isotopes of uranium, leading to its greatly reduced cost. Thorium itself offers a significantly greater neutron absorption cross-section than uranium at thermal energies, resulting in greater efficiency and smaller geometries. Certain thorium-based fuels can also significantly reduce proliferation by denaturing the thorium fuel cycle product U-233 (which is cause for proliferation concern) with U-236 and U-238. Several countries, including the USA, China, and India, are developing new conceptual designs which focus on the advantages offered by thorium. Thorium reactor technology today, as well as its practicality in the near-future, was surveyed to determine its potential for a major role in the nuclear power industry. Factors considered were economics, efficiency, waste, and proliferation. It is recommended that thorium-based fuels be further integrated in future reactor designs to take advantage of its numerous benefits in these areas.
Download or read book Performance of Thorium Based Mixed Oxide Fuels for the Consumption of Plutonium and Minor Actinides in Current and Advanced Reactors written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A renewed interest in thorium-based fuels has arisen lately based on the need for proliferation resistance, longer fuel cycles, higher burnup and improved wasteform characteristics. Recent studies have been directed toward homogeneously mixed, heterogeneously mixed, and seed-and-blanket thorium-uranium fuel cycles that rely on "in situ" use of the bred-in U-233. However, due to the higher initial enrichment required to achieve acceptable burnups, these fuels are encountering economic constraints. Thorium can nevertheless play a large role in the nuclear fuel cycle; particularly in the reduction of plutonium. While uranium-based mixedoxide (MOX) fuel will decrease the amount of plutonium, the reduction is limited due to the breeding of more plutonium (and higher actinides) from the U-238. Here we present calculational results and a comparison of the potential burnup of a thorium-based and uranium-based mixed oxide fuel in a light water reactor (LWR). Although the uranium-based fuels outperformed the thorium-based fuels in achievable burnup, a depletion comparison of the initially charged plutonium (both reactor and weapons grade) showed that the thorium-based fuels outperformed the uranium-based fuels by more that a factor of 2; where more than 70% of the total plutonium in the thorium-based fuel is consumed during the cycle. This is significant considering that the achievable burnup of the thorium-based fuels were 1.4 to 4.6 times less than the uranium-based fuels. Furthermore, use of a thorium-based fuel could also be used as a strategy for reducing the amount of long-lived nuclides (including the minor actinides), and thus the radiotoxicity in spent nuclear fuel. Although the breeding of U-233 is a concern, the presence of U-232 and its daughter products can aid in making this fuel self-protecting, and/or enough U-238 can be added to denature the fissile uranium. From these calculations, it appears that thorium-based fuel for plutonium incineration is superior as compared to uranium-based fuel, and should be considered as an alternative to traditional MOX in both current and future reactor designs.
Download or read book Nuclear Science Abstracts written by and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 724 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Thorium based Nuclear Fuel Current Status and Perspectives written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Feasibility Study of a Proliferation resistant Fuel Cycle for LWR based Transmutation of Transuranics written by Temitope Afolabi Taiwo and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Qualitative Assessment of Thorium Based Fuels in Supercritical Pressure Water Cooled Reactors written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The requirements for the next generation of reactors include better economics and safety, waste minimization (particularly of the long-lived isotopes), and better proliferation resistance (both intrinsic and extrinsic). A supercritical pressure water cooled reactor has been chosen as one of the lead contenders as a Generation IV reactor due to the high thermal efficiency and compact/simplified plant design. In addition, interest in the use of thorium-based fuels for Generation IV reactors has increased based on the abundance of thorium, and the minimization of transuranics in a neutron flux; as plutonium (and thus the minor actinides) is not a by-product in the thorium chain. In order to better understand the possibility of the combination of these concepts to meet the Generation IV goals, the qualitative burnup potential and discharge isotopics of thorium and uranium fuel were studied using pin cell analyses in a supercritical pressure water cooled reactor environment. Each of these fertile materials were used in both nitride and metallic form, with light water reactor grade plutonium and minor actinides added. While the uranium-based fuels achieved burnups that were 1.3 to 2.7 times greater than their thorium-based counterparts, the thorium-based fuels destroyed 2 to 7 times more of the plutonium and minor actinides. The fission-to-capture ratio is much higher in this reactor as compared to PWR's and BWR's due to the harder neutron spectrum, thus allowing more efficient destruction of the transuranic elements. However, while the uranium-based fuels do achieve a net depletion of plutonium and minor actinides, the breeding of these isotopes limits this depletion; especially as compared to the thorium-based fuels.
