EDN: CVLYQJ
Authors & Affiliations
Kashirina V.E., Nevinitsa V.A., Kotov Ya.A., Fomichenko P.A., Kolesov V.V.
National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, Russia
Kashirina V.E. – Laboratory Researcher, Post-Graduate Student. Contacts: 1, pl. Akademika Kurchatova, Moscow, 123182. Tel.: +7 (980) 715-81-86; e-mail:
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Nevinitsa V.A. – Head of Department, Cand. Sci. (Tech.).
Kotov Ya.A. – Senior Researcher.
Fomichenko P.A. – Deputy Head of the Complex.
Kolesov V.V. – Head of Laboratory, Cand. Sci. (Phys.-Math.)
Abstract
In order to study the effectiveness of heterogeneous burning of minor actinides in fast reactors, calculations were performed with loading assemblies with minor actinides into the reflector of the BN-600 reactor.
The benchmark of the BN-600 reactor with MOX fuel (IAEA) was chosen as the calculation model. Two variants of the geometry of assemblies with actinides were considered: without a moderator and with a moderator in two peripheral rows of fuel rods. Two materials were selected as a moderator: zirconium hydride (ZrH) and depleted boron carbide (B4C). AmO2 and NpO2 were loaded into the assemblies separately. The assemblies were located either in the 1st or 2nd row of the reflector. Burnout was calculated using the Serpent software tool for 4 microcamps.
As a result of this work, the efficiency of burning minor actinides is considered, depending on the presence or absence of a moderator in the assembly, on the location of the assemblies in the reflector. The change in the activity of the considered assemblies with minor actinides during the burning process is estimated, and the volume of borosilicate glass for the initial loading of minor actinides and for burnt compounds is calculated using the SCALE program.
Calculations of heat release in the reference fuel assembly located at the boundary of the core and the reflector were performed, the effect of the arrangement of assemblies with minor actinides in the reflector on heat release in the fuel assembly at the boundary of the core was estimated in comparison with calculations for the initial version without loading minor actinides. The accumulation of U-232 in burnout assemblies with minor actinides was estimated.
Keywords
minor actinides, americium, neptunium, spent nuclear fuel, burnout, slow reactor, fast reactors, benchmark BN-600, borosilicate glass, burnout calculation
Article Text (PDF, in Russian)
References
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UDC 621.039.73
Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants, 2025, no. 1, 1:4
