Neutronic design and evaluation of the solid microencapsulated fuel in LWR

Qianliang Deng; Songyang Li; Dingqu Wang; Zhihong Liu; Fei Xie; Jing Zhao; Jingang Liang; Yueyuan Jiang

Nuclear Engineering and Technology (Aug 2022)

Neutronic design and evaluation of the solid microencapsulated fuel in LWR

Qianliang Deng,
Songyang Li,
Dingqu Wang,
Zhihong Liu,
Fei Xie,
Jing Zhao,
Jingang Liang,
Yueyuan Jiang

Affiliations

Qianliang Deng: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Songyang Li: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Dingqu Wang: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Zhihong Liu: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Fei Xie: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Jing Zhao: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Jingang Liang: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Yueyuan Jiang: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Corresponding author. Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 54, no. 8
pp. 3095 – 3105

Abstract

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Solid Microencapsulated Fuel (SMF) is a type of solid fuel rod design that disperses TRISO coated fuel particles directly into a kind of matrix. SMF is expected to provide improved performance because of the elimination of cladding tube and associated failure mechanisms. This study focused on the neutronics and some of the fuel cycle characteristics of SMF by using OpenMC. Two kinds of SMFs have been designed and evaluated - fuel particles dispersed into a silicon carbide matrix and fuel particles dispersed into a zirconium matrix. A 7x7 fuel assembly with increased rod diameter transformed from the standard NHR200-II 9x9 array was also introduced to increase the heavy metal inventory. A preliminary study of two kinds of burnable poisons (Erbia & Gadolinia) in two forms (BISO and QUADRISO particles) was also included. This study found that SMF requires about 12% enriched UN TRISO particles to match the cycle length of standard fuel when loaded in NHR200-II, which is about 7% for SMF with increased rod diameter. Feedback coefficients are less negative through the life of SMF than the reference. And it is estimated that the average center temperature of fuel kernel at fuel rod centerline is about 60 K below that of reference in this paper.

Published in Nuclear Engineering and Technology

ISSN: 1738-5733 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Korea, Republic of
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Nuclear engineering. Atomic power
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/nuclear-engineering-and-technology

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