A Compact Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor with an Ultra-Long Fuel Cycle. (9th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choi, Hangbok; Schleicher, Robert W.; Gupta, Puja
• Other Names: Shen Wei Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Science and technology of nuclear installations. Volume 2013(2013)
• Publication Date: 2013-04-09
• Subjects: Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; Nuclear facilities -- Periodicals; Nuclear engineering; Nuclear facilities; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.48
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/618707
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-6075

Abstract

Abstract : In an attempt to allow nuclear power to reach its full economic potential, General Atomics is developing the Energy Multiplier Module (EM 2 ), which is a compact gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR). The EM 2 augments its fissile fuel load with fertile materials to enhance an ultra-long fuel cycle based on a "convert-and-burn" core design which converts fertile material to fissile fuel and burns it in situ over a 30-year core life without fuel supplementation or shuffling. A series of reactor physics trade studies were conducted and a baseline core was developed under the specific physics design requirements of the long-life small reactor. The EM 2 core performance was assessed for operation time, fuel burnup, excess reactivity, peak power density, uranium utilization, etc., and it was confirmed that an ultra-long fuel cycle core is feasible if the conversion is enough to produce fissile material and maintain criticality, the amount of matrix material is minimized not to soften the neutron spectrum, and the reactor core size is optimized to minimize the neutron loss. This study has shown the feasibility, from the reactor physics standpoint, of a compact GFR that can meet the objectives of ultra-long fuel cycle, factory-fabrication, and excellent fuel utilization.