COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT FUEL TYPES FOR COMBINED THORIUM-URANIUM FUEL CYCLE AT 800 MWT LONG-LIFE PWR

• Main Author: (NIM: 20214046), ROUF
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/24107
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Thorium as an alternative fuel for nuclear reactor has a great prospect in the future. Many research has evaluated prospect to utilize thorium in several reactor types especially for pressurized water reactor (PWR). Conventional PWR utilize low enrichment uranium (3 – 5 % U-235) in UO2 form. In this present study, analysis of different fuel types for combined thorium-uranium fuel cycle at 800 MWt long-life PWR has been conducted. The calculation carried out for different fuel type in oxide (Th-U)O2 form, carbide (Th-U)C, and nitride (Th-U)N fuel with uranium composition 40 – 60% in an acceptable enrichment (10 – 19% U-235 on uranium composition). To reach long-life performance and minimize excess reactivity, gadolinium (Gd2O3), protactinium (Pa-231) or neptunium (Np-237) also evaluated in the fuel as a burnable poison. Fuel volume fraction has evaluated with variation from 40% until 60%, this parameter has direct influent on moderator to fuel ratio (MFR), where MFR very important to investigate moderating condition (under moderated or over moderated). Core height and diameter adjusted to reach long-life performance and optimum burnup level. Core calculation on this study adopted R-Z geometry divided by 3 region, each region have different uranium enrichment. The purpose of this comparative study to evaluate better fuel type and to reach operation time until 10 years with minimum reactivity ((formula) < 3 % dk/k).