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Core design and fuel rod analyses of super fat reactor with high power density

  • Haitao Ju
  • , Liangzhi Cao
  • , Yum Ishiwatari
  • , Haoliang Lu
  • , Yoshiaki Oka
  • , Satoshi Ikejiri
  • The University of Tokyo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

A Super Fast Reactor is a pressure-vessel type, fast spectrum Supercritical Water Reactor (SCWR) that is presently researched in a Japanese project. One of the most important advantages of the Super Fast Reactor is the higher power density compared to the thermal spectrum SCWR, which reduces the capital cost. A preliminary core has an average power density of 158.8W/cc flj. In this paper, the principle of improving the average power density is studied and the core design is improved. After the sensitivity analyses on the fuel rod configurations, the fuel assembly configurations and the core configurations, an improved core with an average power density of 294.8W/cc is designed by 3-D neutronic/thermal-hydraulic coupled calculations. This power density is competitive with that of typical Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR). In order to ensure the fuel rod integrity of this core design, the fuel rod behaviors on the normal operating condition are analyzed using FEMAXI-6 code. The power histories of each fuel rod are taken from the neutronics calculation results in the core design. The cladding surface temperature histories are taken from the thermal-hydraulic calculation results in the core design. Four types of the limiting fuel rods, with the Maximum Cladding Surface Temperature (MCST), Maximum Power Peak(MPP), Maximum Discharge Burnup(MDB) and Different Coolant Flow Pattern (DCFP), are chosen to cover all the fuel rods in the core. The available design range of the fuel rod design parameters, such as initial gas plenum pressure, gas plenum position, gas plenum length, grain size and gap size, are found out in order to satisfy the following design criteria: (1) Maximum fuel centerline temperature should be less than 1900°C. (2) Maximum cladding stress in circumstance direction should be less than lOOMPa. (3) Pressure difference on the cladding should be less than 1/3 of buckling collapse pressure. (4) Cumulative damage faction (CDF) of the cladding should be less than 1.0. Finally the improved fuel rod design of the new core is proposed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInternational Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants 2009, ICAPP 2009
PublisherAtomic Energy Society of Japan
Pages482-491
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9781617386084
StatePublished - 2009
EventInternational Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants 2009, ICAPP 2009 - Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Duration: 10 May 200914 May 2009

Publication series

NameInternational Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants 2009, ICAPP 2009
Volume1

Conference

ConferenceInternational Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants 2009, ICAPP 2009
Country/TerritoryJapan
CityShinjuku, Tokyo
Period10/05/0914/05/09

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