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Study of a self-regulated nuclear burn wave regime in a fast reactor based on a thorium–uranium cycle

Study of a self-regulated nuclear burn wave regime in a fast reactor based on a thorium–uranium... The possibility of a wave of slow nuclear burning in a fast reactor in thorium–uranium fuel cycle is investigated. The calculations were performed using a model based on the solution of a nonstationary nonlinear diffusion equation for a cylindrical homogeneous reactor using the concept of a radial geometric factor (buckling) and the effective multigroup approximation taking account of the nuclear kinetics of the precursors of delay neutrons and burnup and production of the main nuclides of the thorium–uranium fuel cycle. The calculations showed that the generation and propagation of a wave of nuclear burning traveling with velocity approximately 2 cm/yr are possible in a thorium–uranium medium. However, the addition of even small quantities of a construction material and coolant to the composition of the reactor makes it impossible to obtain the burn wave regime. A self-maintained nuclear burn regime is also established in this case and exists for a long time (∼5 yr), but the system does not transition into a regime with a nuclear burn wave propagating along the axis of the reactor. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Atomic Energy Springer Journals

Study of a self-regulated nuclear burn wave regime in a fast reactor based on a thorium–uranium cycle

Atomic Energy , Volume 107 (5) – Mar 16, 2010

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References (18)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 by Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
Subject
Physics; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Engineering; Nuclear Physics, Heavy Ions, Hadrons
ISSN
1063-4258
eISSN
1573-8205
DOI
10.1007/s10512-010-9235-x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The possibility of a wave of slow nuclear burning in a fast reactor in thorium–uranium fuel cycle is investigated. The calculations were performed using a model based on the solution of a nonstationary nonlinear diffusion equation for a cylindrical homogeneous reactor using the concept of a radial geometric factor (buckling) and the effective multigroup approximation taking account of the nuclear kinetics of the precursors of delay neutrons and burnup and production of the main nuclides of the thorium–uranium fuel cycle. The calculations showed that the generation and propagation of a wave of nuclear burning traveling with velocity approximately 2 cm/yr are possible in a thorium–uranium medium. However, the addition of even small quantities of a construction material and coolant to the composition of the reactor makes it impossible to obtain the burn wave regime. A self-maintained nuclear burn regime is also established in this case and exists for a long time (∼5 yr), but the system does not transition into a regime with a nuclear burn wave propagating along the axis of the reactor.

Journal

Atomic EnergySpringer Journals

Published: Mar 16, 2010

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