Core characteristics of fast reactor cycle with simple dry pyrochemical processing

Ikegami, Tetsuo

Fast reactor core concept and core nuclear characteristics are studied in the case of applying the simple dry pyrochemical processing for fast reactor mixed oxide spent fuels in the Compound Process Fuel Cycle. Results of the core nuclear analyses show the possibility to recycle FR spent fuel once and to have 1.01 of breeding ratio without radial blanket region, in a case of large FR core with half of loaded fuels are recycled through the simple dry pyrochemical processing. The comparison made among three kinds of recycle fuels, LWR UO spent fuel, LWR MOX spent fuel, and FR spent fuel, has revealed that the recycle fuels, regardless of their starting heavy metal composition, reach an equilibrium state after recycles and that the recycled FR fuel has the lowest radio-activity and about same level of heat generation among the recycle fuels.