Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation
The present study evaluates the potential implementation of two different closed fuel cycle strategies for a NuScale-like reactor core. After undergoing three burnup cycles of approximately 12 MWd/kgU in the NuScale-like initial core and five years of cooling in a spent fuel pool, the spent fuel was...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Brazilian Radiation Protection Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica, SBPR)
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://bjrs.org.br/revista/index.php/REVISTA/article/view/2630 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850094228059717632 |
|---|---|
| author | Keferson Almeida Graiciany de Paula Barros Matheus Henrique dos Santos Araújo Rebeca Cabral Gonçalves Tiago Augusto Santiago Vieira Vitor Silva Andre Augusto Campagnole dos Santos |
| author_facet | Keferson Almeida Graiciany de Paula Barros Matheus Henrique dos Santos Araújo Rebeca Cabral Gonçalves Tiago Augusto Santiago Vieira Vitor Silva Andre Augusto Campagnole dos Santos |
| author_sort | Keferson Almeida |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study evaluates the potential implementation of two different closed fuel cycle strategies for a NuScale-like reactor core. After undergoing three burnup cycles of approximately 12 MWd/kgU in the NuScale-like initial core and five years of cooling in a spent fuel pool, the spent fuel was theoretically reprocessed using GANEX or UREX+ methods. These reprocessed fuel compositions were then mixed with thorium (Th) and inserted into specific batch positions of the core. As a result, the proposed NuScale-like core configurations contain fuel assemblies loaded with both conventional uranium-based fuel and reprocessed fuel, resulting in the following combinations: UO2 and GANEX spiked with Th, and UO2 and UREX+ spiked with Th. The primary goal is to assess the safety margins of the proposed cores and compare them with the reference case. The results indicate that all scenarios with reprocessed fuel improved the fuel temperature reactivity coefficient and maximum initial excess of reactivity, while varying the boron concentration in the coolant. Additionally, it was found that both proposed cores met the power peak factor (PPF) design requirements, despite the high PPF value observed at the C03 central position. The simulations were performed using the Serpent code version 2.1.32, developed by VTT.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68bf055e805b4fbfb7a1aa0a8323302c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2319-0612 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Brazilian Radiation Protection Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica, SBPR) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-68bf055e805b4fbfb7a1aa0a8323302c2025-08-20T02:41:42ZengBrazilian Radiation Protection Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Proteção Radiológica, SBPR)Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences2319-06122025-05-01124B (Suppl.)10.15392/2319-0612.2024.26302255Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluationKeferson Almeida0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7976-477XGraiciany de Paula Barros1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7909-9063Matheus Henrique dos Santos Araújo2Rebeca Cabral Gonçalves3Tiago Augusto Santiago Vieira4Vitor Silva5Andre Augusto Campagnole dos Santos6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-3243Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)The present study evaluates the potential implementation of two different closed fuel cycle strategies for a NuScale-like reactor core. After undergoing three burnup cycles of approximately 12 MWd/kgU in the NuScale-like initial core and five years of cooling in a spent fuel pool, the spent fuel was theoretically reprocessed using GANEX or UREX+ methods. These reprocessed fuel compositions were then mixed with thorium (Th) and inserted into specific batch positions of the core. As a result, the proposed NuScale-like core configurations contain fuel assemblies loaded with both conventional uranium-based fuel and reprocessed fuel, resulting in the following combinations: UO2 and GANEX spiked with Th, and UO2 and UREX+ spiked with Th. The primary goal is to assess the safety margins of the proposed cores and compare them with the reference case. The results indicate that all scenarios with reprocessed fuel improved the fuel temperature reactivity coefficient and maximum initial excess of reactivity, while varying the boron concentration in the coolant. Additionally, it was found that both proposed cores met the power peak factor (PPF) design requirements, despite the high PPF value observed at the C03 central position. The simulations were performed using the Serpent code version 2.1.32, developed by VTT. https://bjrs.org.br/revista/index.php/REVISTA/article/view/2630SMRNuScaleGANEXUREX+Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle |
| spellingShingle | Keferson Almeida Graiciany de Paula Barros Matheus Henrique dos Santos Araújo Rebeca Cabral Gonçalves Tiago Augusto Santiago Vieira Vitor Silva Andre Augusto Campagnole dos Santos Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences SMR NuScale GANEX UREX+ Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle |
| title | Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation |
| title_full | Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation |
| title_short | Closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for NuScale-like reactor: safety parameters evaluation |
| title_sort | closed nuclear fuel cycle strategy for nuscale like reactor safety parameters evaluation |
| topic | SMR NuScale GANEX UREX+ Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle |
| url | https://bjrs.org.br/revista/index.php/REVISTA/article/view/2630 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kefersonalmeida closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation AT graicianydepaulabarros closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation AT matheushenriquedossantosaraujo closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation AT rebecacabralgoncalves closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation AT tiagoaugustosantiagovieira closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation AT vitorsilva closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation AT andreaugustocampagnoledossantos closednuclearfuelcyclestrategyfornuscalelikereactorsafetyparametersevaluation |