TRU burning by dual tier system of LWR-SFR

This paper presents a concept of the dual tier system consisting of the existing light water reactor (LWR) plants and sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) for transuranics (TRU) burning for the purpose of downsizing the required SFR. In this system, Pu is combusted by the LWR at first and then the remaining Np, Am, and Pu are destructed by the SFR. The iteration number of Pu combustion by the LWR is chosen to be twice owing to the sodium void reactivity limitation of $6. As a result of combustion calculation, the twice Pu burning of LWR lessens the TRU amount by 27% and changes the composition significantly. Moderator pins of zirconium hydride are deployed to the SFR fuel subassembly so as to enhance TRU burning and reduce the sodium void reactivity. The nuclear calculation found that the core characteristics become similar to the conventional SFR due to the moderator: the sodium void reactivity remains still $4 and the Doppler coefficient becomes −6 × 10−3 Tdk/dT. This study concludes that this dual tier strategy can downsize the required SFR to approximately 40% of the single tier system of SFR with TRU conversion ratio of 0.6.

► Dual tier strategy reduces the required SFR to one-third comparing with single tier of SFR.
► After Pu is burnt by LWR twice, the remaining TRU elements are destructed by SFR.
► Thermal power ratio of LWR to SFR, Support factor is 5.2 in dual tier system.
► Moderator pins of zirconium hydride are deployed in SFR fuel subassembly.
► Moderator enhances TRU burning and reduces the void reactivity to $4.