- Link:
- http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/31252
- Collection:
-
- Subjects
- Nuclear fuel elements. Nuclear reactors |x Mathematical models. Nuclear reactors |x Computer programs. Pressurized water reactors
- Creators:
- Garel, Keith Courtnay Driscoll, Michael J.
- Format
- 13486795 bytes
- Format
- application/pdf
- Language
- en_US
- Publisher
- MIT Energy Laboratory
- Relation
- MIT-EL
- Relation
- 77-018
- Type
- Technical Report
- Description
- The burnup neutronics of uniform PWR lattices are
examined with respect to reduction of uranium ore requirements with
an emphasis on variation of the fuel-to-moderator ratio (lattice
pitch at constant fuel pin diameter) and the use of thorium. Fuel
cycles using all combinations of the major fissile (U-235, U-233,
Pu) and fertile (U-238, Th) species are examined. The LEOPARD code
and prescriptions developed from a linear reactivity model are used
to determine initial core and annual makeup fissile requirements
for input into an in-house, simple, systems model, MASFLO-2, which
calculates ore (and separative work) requirements per GWeyr for
growing, declining, or finite-life nuclear electric systems. For
low growth scenarios drier lattices are favored, and the thorium
fuel cycle requires as much as 23% less ore than a comparably
optimized uranium cycle with full recycle. For unmodified lattices,
the thorium fuel cycle with full recycle exhibits long term uranium
ore savings of 17% over the comparable uranium cycle with full
recycle. For rapidly growing systems, drier lattices, and those
using thorium, are less attractive because of their high startup
inventories. Thus the introduction of thorium may increase ore and
separative work requirements in the short term but will more than
repay the ore investment in the very long term. Very little
improvement was achieved by varying fuel pin diameter at a given
fuel-to-moderator ratio, but itwas found to be slightly
advantageous to recycle plutonium (or U-233) into dedicated
reactors having individually optimized lattices: a strategy which
may also be attractive for safeguards purposes.
- Description
- Originally presented as the first author's thesis,
(Ph.D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering,
1978.
- Description
- ERDA Contract no. EY-76-A-01-2295.
- Visits:
- 1
- Access:
- Instructions in case access is denied
Site powered by:
