Improving the Neutronic Characteristics of a Boiling Water Reactor by Using Uranium Zirconium Hydride Fuel Instead of Uranium Dioxide Fuel

The present work discusses two different models of boiling water reactor (BWR) bundle to compare the neutronic characteristics of uranium dioxide (UO2) and uranium zirconium hydride (UZrH1.6) fuel. Each bundle consists of four assemblies. The BWR assembly fueled with UO2 contains 8 × 8 fuel rods while that fueled with UZrH1.6 contains 9 × 9 fuel rods. The Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code, based on the Mont Carlo method, is used to design three dimensional models for BWR fuel bundles at typical operating temperatures and pressure conditions. These models are used to determine the multiplication factor, pin-by-pin power distribution, axial power distribution, thermal neutron flux distribution, and axial thermal neutron flux. The moderator and coolant (water) are permitted to boil within the BWR core forming steam bubbles, so it is important to calculate the reactivity effect of voiding at different values. It is found that the hydride fuel bundle design can be simplified by eliminating water rods and replacing the control blade with control rods. UZrH1.6 fuel improves the performance of the BWR in different ways such as increasing the energy extracted per fuel assembly, reducing the uranium ore, and reducing the plutonium accumulated in the BWR through burnup.