2020, Issue 3

DOI: 10.55176/2414-1038-2020-3-63-67

Authors & Affiliations

Alimov Yu.V., Galeyeva N.M., Davydov V.K., Zhirnov A.P., Kuznetsov P.B., Rozhdestvenskiy I.M.

N.A. Dollezhal Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering, Moscow, Russia

Zhirnov A.P. – Deputy Head of Department. Contacts: 2/8 Malaya Krasnoselskaya st., Moscow, Russia, 107140. Tel.: +7 (499) 763-02-66; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Alimov Y.V. – Senior Researcher.
Galeeva N.M. – Engineer.
Davidov V.K. – Senior Researcher.
Kuznetsov P.B. – Senior Researcher.
Rozhdestvenskiy I.M. – Leading Engineer.

Abstract

The structure of the Russian nuclear power industry includes reactors with different designed fuel enrichment. It is possible to mix, in certain proportions, nuclear fuel (NF) from various reactors, thus closing the nuclear fuel cycle. Reprocessed uranium is a product of radiochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from NF with a high initial enrichment. Use of uranium-erbium fuel based on reprocessed uranium is planned for the RBMK-1000 reactor. Along with ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U, SNF contains non-fissionable ballast isotopes of uranium (^{232, 234, 236}U). The ^{232, 234}U isotopes have a relatively high radioactivity and the presence of these leads to an increased dose rate of ionizing radiation but, due to their small content in fuel, does not affect the neutron balance, the neutron multiplication factor, and the reactivity margin. A large presence of ²³⁶U requires additional enrichment with ²³⁵U due a greater probability of inefficient neutron absorption by the ²³⁶U nuclei. This absorption with no fission leads to a reduced neutron multiplication factor, a reduced reactivity margin in fresh fuel, and a smaller burnup of unloaded fuel. Analyzing the effects the increased content of even uranium isotopes (IEI) has on the reactor’s neutronic performance and fuel burn-up makes it possible to determine the amount of additional ²³⁵U fuel enrichment to make up for the negative effects of ²³⁶U on the RBMK-1000 neutronic performance.

Keywords
RBMK-1000 reactor, reprocessed uranium, uranium-erbium fuel, reactor neutronic performance, uranium isotopes, neutron multiplication factor, void reactivity coefficient, FA-IEI, standard FA

Article Text (PDF, in Russian)

References

UDC 621.039.51

Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants, 2020, issue 3, 3:6