Potential of transuranics transmutation in a thorium‐based chloride salt fast reactor. (2nd July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Xiaoxiao; Cui, Deyang; Hu, Guang; Cai, Xiangzhou; Chen, Jingen
• Is Part Of: International journal of energy research. Volume 46:Number 12(2022)
• Page Start: 16461
• Page End: 16475
• Publication Date: 2022-07-02
• Subjects: molten chloride salt fast reactor -- transmutation -- Transuranics (TRUs); Power resources -- Periodicals; Power (Mechanics) -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Research -- Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1002/er.8309
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0363-907X

Abstract

Summary: A thorium‐based chloride salt fast reactor (TCLFR) for transuranics (TRUs) transmutation is proposed to decrease radioactive nuclear waste. The TCLFR core uses two types of fuel: liquid nuclear fuel with TRUs and thorium being dissolved in chloride and solid transmutation rod with only TRUs fuel. The transmutation capability of TCLFR with a core power of 2500 MWth is investigated utilizing three different reactor core configurations, namely ThCore, GdCore, and TcCore, and compared to the standard Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) while maintaining most of the geometric parameters. Important burnup parameters such as transmutation rate (TRE) and transmutation ratio (TRO) are extracted and analyzed. Besides, the neutron spectrum shift and the relevant safety parameters, including power peak factor, temperature coefficient of reactivity (TCR) and effective delayed neutron fraction ( β eff ) are all explored. The results demonstrate that all the TCLFR cores can transmute TRUs effectively. TRUs have a high online refueling amount of TRUs in TcCore and GdCore due to their low conversion ratio (CR). The TRE in the TcCore and GdCore is 292.77 kg/GWth/year and 258.31 kg/GWth/year, respectively, which is significantly higher than the TRE in the MCFR, which is 171.21 kg/GWth/year. As a result of the production of U‐233 compensates for the consumption of TRUs, the refueling amount of TRUs decreases, and the TRE in the ThCore is only 96.29 kg/GWth/year, which is approximately 44% lower than that in the MCFR. Abstract : To improve transuranics (TRUs) transmutation performance, a thorium‐based chloride salt fast reactor (TCLFR) for TRUs is proposed. TRUs transmutation potential is investigated and compared in three TCLFR cores (ThCore, GdCore, and TcCore) to the conventional molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR). The transmutation rates of the TcCore and GdCore are higher than those of the MCFR, while the ThCore is lower.