Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative Assessment of the Range of Spectral Regulation of Reactivity Margin for Fuel Burnup in Pressurized Water Reactors Using Zirconium Displacers for Uranium and Thorium Fuel Cycles

  • THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
  • Published:
Physics of Atomic Nuclei Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The excess reactivity in WWER-type pressurized water reactors is compensated using strong neutron absorbers. This leads to useless neutron consumption and reduce the breeding ratio and fuel burnup. In this work, one of the methods of spectral regulation of reactivity margin for fuel burnup was considered, namely, variation of the water-to-fuel ratio by inserting hollow cylindrical zirconium rods between fuel elements in the fuel assembly. Calculations were performed for a thorium–uranium-233 fuel. The range of change in the water-to-fuel ratio was estimated as a function of the diameter of inserted hollow zirconium rods. A comparison was made with the results of similar calculations for a uranium fuel at equal (3.7%) weight concentrations of fissile isotopes. The concentrations of the raw and fissile isotopes in the fuel in both fuel cycles were studied. In the Th–U-233 fuel cycle, with decreasing water-to-fuel ratio, the coefficient of accumulation of fissile isotopes can reach 0.75. The changes in the concentrations of the fission products in both fuel cycles were compared. The fuel and moderator temperature coefficients of reactivity and the control rod worth were estimated at all the considered water-to-fuel ratios. The safety parameters in the Th–U-233 fuel cycle were better than those in the UO2 fuel cycle. It was shown that, at equal weight concentrations of the fissile isotope in the fuel, the insertion of hollow zirconium rods in the UO2 fuel cycle changes the reactivity over a wider range than in the Th–U-233 fuel cycle.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.

REFERENCES

  1. D. Campolina et al., Ann. Nucl. Energy 118, 375 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. A. H. Fadaei, Ann. Nucl. Energy 38, 2238 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. L. Frybortova, Nucl. Sci. Tech. 30 (8) (2019).

  4. A. A. Galahom, Ann. Nucl. Energy 110, 1127 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. A. A. Galahom, Ann. Nucl. Energy 94, 22 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. O. Safarzadeh, F. Saadatian-Derakhshandeh, and A. S. Shirani, Prog. Nucl. Energy 81, 217 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. C. Parisi, E. Negrenti, and M. Pecchia, Nucl. Sci. Eng. 178, 524 (2014).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. A. V. Chibinyaev, P. N. Alekseev, and P. S. Teplov, At. Energy 101, 680 (2006).

  9. P. Teplov et al., in Proceedings of the PHYSOR2014 International Conference on Physics of Reactors, Kyoto, Japan, Sep. 28–Oct. 3, 2014 (2015).

  10. A. I. Elazaka and G. V. Tikhomirov, Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Yad. Energ. 2020 (2) (2020).

  11. A. I. Elazaka, G. V. Tikhomirov, and A. Abdelghafar Galahom, Int. J. Energy Res. 45, 10012 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. R. Akbari-Jeyhouni et al., Ann. Nucl. Energy 120, 422 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. V. F. Castro, C. E. Velasquez, and C. Pereira, Nucl. Eng. Des. 360, 110514 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D. Y. Cui et al., Prog. Nucl. Energy 104, 75 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Int. At. Energy Agency, in IAEA Advanced Reactors Information System ARIS, 2018 ed. (IAEA, 2018), Supplement.

  16. Int. At. Energy Agency, IAEA-TECDOC-1450 (IAEA, 2005).

  17. M. Lung and O. Gremm, Nucl. Eng. Des. 180, 133 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. L. Thilagam et al., Ann. Nucl. Energy 36, 505 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. J. Leppänen et al., Ann. Nucl. Energy 82, 142 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, 11884, Cairo, Nasr City, Egypt

    A. I. Elazaka

  2. National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 115409, Moscow, Russia

    A. I. Elazaka, V. I. Savander & G. V. Tikhomirov

Authors
  1. A. I. Elazaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. I. Savander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. V. Tikhomirov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to A. I. Elazaka, V. I. Savander or G. V. Tikhomirov.

Additional information

Translated by V. Glyanchenko

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Elazaka, A.I., Savander, V.I. & Tikhomirov, G.V. Comparative Assessment of the Range of Spectral Regulation of Reactivity Margin for Fuel Burnup in Pressurized Water Reactors Using Zirconium Displacers for Uranium and Thorium Fuel Cycles. Phys. Atom. Nuclei 85 (Suppl 2), S35–S41 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063778822140058

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063778822140058

Keywords:

Search

Navigation