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Published: 2018-06-30
Abstract Views: 157
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.53747/jnst.v8i2.85
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2018)
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Tran, H. N., Yasuyoshi, K., Hoang, V. K. ., & Hoang, S. M. T. (2018). Characteristics of a gas-cooled fast reactor with minor actinide loading. Nuclear Science and Technology, 8(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.53747/jnst.v8i2.85

Characteristics of a gas-cooled fast reactor with minor actinide loading

Hoai-Nam Tran1, Yasuyoshi Kato2, Van-Khanh Hoang3, Sy Minh Tuan Hoang1
1 Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
2 Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Energy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
3 Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, VINATOM, 179 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam

Main Article Content

Abstract

This paper presents the neutronics characteristics of a prototype gas-cooled (supercritical CO2-cooled) fast reactor (GCFR) with minor actinide (MA) loading in the fuel. The GCFR core is designed with a thermal output of 600 MWt as a part of a direct supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) gas turbine cycle. Transmutation of MAs in the GCFR has been investigated for attaining low burnup reactivity swing and reducing long-life radioactive waste. Minor actinides are loaded uniformly in the fuel regions of the core. The burnup reactivity swing is minimized to 0.11% ∆k/kk’ over the cycle length of 10 years when the MA content is 6.0 wt%. The low burnup reactivity swing enables minimization of control rod operation during burnup. The MA transmutation rate is 42.2 kg/yr, which is equivalent to the production rates in 7 LWRs of the same electrical output.

Article Details

Keywords

Minor actinide, fast reactor, reactivity swing, GCFR

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