Importance of reactor physics experiment using MA-bearing fuel

MA燃料を用いた炉物理実験の重要性

菅原 隆徳  ; 佐々 敏信   ; 大井川 宏之 

Sugawara, Takanori; Sasa, Toshinobu; Oigawa, Hiroyuki

マイナーアクチノイド(MA)装荷炉心の核設計精度向上は、核変換技術の研究開発における重要な課題の一つとなっている。MA核データの不確かさは、他の主要な核種に比べて大きいと考えられることから、MA装荷高速炉や加速器駆動未臨界システム(ADS)の核設計精度は、一般的な原子炉よりも多くの不確かさを含むと考えられる。この不確かさを補うため、設計余裕を多くとる必要があり、経済性などに影響する。本研究では、J-PARC第II期計画で建設予定の核変換物理実験施設(TEF-P)において、MAを用いた臨界実験を行うことで、核変換炉の核設計精度がどの程度向上するかを定量的に示す。

Improvement on the neutronics design accuracy of the MA-loaded core is one of the most important issues in the MA transmutation technologies. Uncertainties of the current MA nuclear data are supposed to be larger than those of other major nuclides. Therefore, analyzed neutronics properties of MA-loaded FR and ADS have much larger design margins in comparison with those of conventional FR. To improve the reliability, safety and economical efficiency of these systems, it is required to increase the accuracy of the nuclear data of MA by the experimental data taken under adequate experimental conditions. In this study, error analyses were conducted to estimate the benefit of the MA-loaded experiments at TEF-P (Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility) on the error reduction in neutronics design of transmutation systems. Through this estimation, the effect of the MA-loaded experiments at TEF-P was verified quantitatively.