TRU recycling in BWR type reactor of FLWR with hard spectrum

Okubo, Tsutomu; Nakano, Yoshihiro ; Fukaya, Yuji   ; Kobayashi, Noboru; Uchikawa, Sadao

In order to ensure sustainable energy supply in the future based on the well-established LWR technologies, conceptual design studies on the innovative water reactor for flexible fuel cycle (FLWR) have been performed at JAEA. FLWR is a BWR type advanced LWR concept with the triangular tight-lattice core of uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) mixed oxide (MOX) fuel rods. Accordingly, FLWR can achieve a high conversion ratio from U to Pu in the hard neutron spectrum core. This core characteristic is also suitable for recycling of Pu and/or the minor actinides (MA) based on the fuel recycling strategy. FLWR core consists of two concepts of HC-FLWR and RMWR with different conversion ratios. It has been confirmed that even in HC-FLWR with a lower conversion ratio around 0.85 TRU recycling with about 2% MA would be possible.