MULTIPLE RECYCLING
IN ADVANCED PRESSURIZED-WATER REACTORS
Introduction
The aims of this benchmark are to analyse the physics of the plutonium consumption during its recycling in PWRs, the buildup of Minor Actinides due to this consumption, the effect on the core kinetic parameters, the activity and radiotoxicity consequences, the mass in the cycle and in the waste disposal in order to evaluate the PWR’s potential for plutonium stockpile stabilisation.
Thus, this benchmark proposes plutonium recycling with dilution using the first generation plutonium at each recycling inside two kinds of PWRs with a different moderation ratio.
The choice of reactor is a standard PWR with a moderation ratio close to 2 (standard PWR) and a Highly Moderated PWR (HM-PWR) with a moderation ratio about 3.5. Recent studies [1] have shown that this last concept has a higher ability to consume the plutonium while minimising the Minor Actinides production. These two reactors are loaded with 100% MOX fuel assemblies.
The number of plutonium recycles for this benchmark is taken equal to 5 to illustrate the composition evolution for many recyclings.
In order to compare the so-extrapolated asymptotic cases as a function of the results obtained for the calculated cycles, an equilibrium state will be extrapolated by the co-ordinator to evaluate the impact of the differences in the first plutonium recycles on the asymptotic case. Also, the impact on the stock mass and cycle mass will be evaluated for each calculation set for this equilibrium state.
The results must be provided in terms of isotopic vectors,
isotopic balance, activity and radiotoxicity. These parameters will be
given for each step in the cycle and for each plutonium recycle. Also,
the results will be analysed in terms of reactivity parameters (boron
efficiency, temperature coefficient, reactivity balance, void effect).
This might allow preliminary and global understanding of plutonium
recycling in PWR and evaluation of its feasibility.
Reference
Physics of Plutonium
Recycling - Vol. VI - Multiple Plutonium Recycling in Advanced PWRs
Language: English
, Published: OECD 2002 , 162 pages, ISBN: 92-64-19957-8
For additional information contact OECD/NEA Data Bank (programs@oecd-nea.org
)
