Expert Group on Minor Actinide Burning in
Thermal Reactors (MA-ThR)
Under
the guidance of
the Working Party on Scientific
Issues in Reactor Systems (WPRS) this expert group will carry out a
technical assessment of minor
actinide burning in thermal reactors. Though the main focus will be on
light water reactors (LWRs), consideration will also be given to other
thermal systems such as heavy water reactors (HWRs). However, high
Temperature Reactors (HTRs) are specifically excluded because minor
actinide burning in HTRs is already the subject of the European Union
6th Framework project PUMA.
The scope will include assessments of the implications for
enrichment, fuel fabrication, in-core fuel management,
thermal-hydraulics, fuel behaviour, fuel cycle economics and irradiated
fuel and waste management. It is intended that the expert group would
be a joint activity between the Working Party on Scientific Issues
of Reactor Systems (WPRS) and the Working Party on Scientific
Issues of the Fuel Cycle (WPFC) and would also liaise closely with the
Nuclear Development Committee (NDC) on economics.
Objectives
The expert group aims to produce a state-of-the-art report on minor
actinide burning in LWRs
and HWRs. The principal objective is to review and summarise previous
work and to present a consensus view.
Specifically, the report should cover for LWRs
and HWRs:
The different technical approaches to minor
actinide burning, including an assessment of the effectiveness of
different approaches in terms of kg of minor actinides destroyed per
TWhe electrical output and the irradiation timescales.
To construct, if feasible, estimates of the
net contribution of the various minor actinide nuclides to the overall
neutron balance and thereby determine the penalty on initial fissile
loading.
Assess the design and behaviour of reactor fuels
containing minor actinides.
Consider the nuclear design aspects of reactor cores
containing minor actinide fuels.
Evaluate the thermal-hydraulic design of reactor cores
containing minor actinide fuels.
The implications for fabrication of fuel
containing minor actinides.
The implications for operations of
reactor cores containing minor actinides.
The implications for the fuel cycle, including
spent fuel and waste management, minor actinide separation.
The economics of LWRs and HWRs containing
minor actinide fuels.
Deliverables
Completion of a state-of-the-art report within two years of the initial
meeting of the expert group.