Study on heterogeneous minor actinide loading fast reactor core concepts with improved safety

大釜 和也; 大木 繁夫; 北田 孝典*; 竹田 敏一*

Proceedings of 21st Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference (PBNC 2018) (USB Flash Drive), p.942 - 947, 2018/09

A core concept of minor actinides (MAs) transmutation with improved safety was designed by applying sodium plenum and axially heterogeneous configuration. In this study, heterogeneous MA loading methods were developed for the core concept to explore the potential of further improvement of MA transmutation amount and "effective void reactivity" which was introduced by assuming the axial coolant sodium density change distribution for the unprotected loss of flow accident. By investigating characteristics of heterogeneous cores loading MA in different radial or axial positions, preferable MA loading positions were identified. The core loading MA in the radial position between inner and outer core region attained the largest MA transmutation amount and lowest maximum linear heat rate (MLHR) among heterogeneous cases. The lower region of the core was beneficial to improve the effective void reactivity and MLHR maintaining the nearly same MA transmutation amount as that of the homogeneous core. The radial blanket region was also useful to increased MA transmutation amount without deterioration of the effective void reactivity.