EDN: VBNWWJ
Authors & Affiliations
Isanov K.A., Zakirov N.A., Eliseev V.A., Gulevich A.V.
A.I. Leipunsky Institute of Physics and Power Engineering, Obninsk, Russia
Isanov K.A. – Research Engineer. Contacts: 1, pl. Bondarenko, Obninsk, Kaluga Region, Russia, 249033. Tel: +7 (981) 711-92-65; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Zakirov N.A. – Research Engineer.
Eliseev V.A. – Leading Researcher.
Gulevich A.V. – Head of Reactor Physics Department, Dr. Sci. (Phys.-Math.).
Abstract
The transition to a closed nuclear fuel cycle (CNFC) is a relevant and important task in the development of nuclear energy. The transition to CNFC is driven by the depletion of natural uranium reserves and the accumulation of plutonium and minor actinides. The fast neutron reactor plays a key role in the CNFC.
For the initial core loading of fast reactors, it is possible to utilize various types of stockpiled energy plutonium with different isotopic compositions to achieve a partial or full transition to CNFC. Therefore, the objective of this work is to study the influence of the plutonium isotopic composition in MOX fuel on the main neutronics and mass balance characteristics of a BN-type reactor core.
The study investigates the impact of the plutonium isotopic composition on the reactivity burnup margin, the magnitude of the neptunium effect, the Doppler effect, the axial expansion effect, and the sodium void reactivity effect, as well as the efficiency of the control rod assembly group. The work also presents the mass balance parameters for the material flows of plutonium, neptunium, americium, and curium, and the changes in the plutonium isotopic composition during recycling.
Keywords
plutonium isotopic composition, neutronic characteristics, core, reactivity effect, Doppler effect, sodium void reactivity effect, control rod assembly (CRA) efficiency, neptunium effect, BN-1200 type reactor, MOX fuel
Article Text (PDF, in Russian)
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UDC 621.039.54
Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants, 2026, no. 1, 1:10
