Analysis of the attractiveness of materials as applied to the fuel cycle of high-power fast reactor of Bn-type

Abstract

Nuclear fuel cycle of fast reactors contains materials which potentially can be used for fabricating nuclear explosives or nuclear weapons. It is customary to apply to such materials in addressing the problem of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism the concept of attractiveness allowing evaluating potential possibility of their use in clandestine activities. Attractiveness of nuclear materials is evaluated, first of all, according to their neutronics properties. Results are presented of analysis of attractiveness of different types of fuel compositions as applicable to fuel cycle of fast sodium-cooled high-power nuclear reactor of the BN-1200 type for different options of its starting fuel loads and utilized regimes for reaching steady-state fuel composition. The object of the present study were the simplest systems containing fuel compositions of fast reactor of BN-1200 type in the form of bare spherical assemblies without neutron reflector and assemblies surrounded with simplest neutron reflectors. Criticality conditions were determined for each system and main neutronics properties of the fuel compositions under examination were determined for these criticality conditions.

Keywords

• Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
• Attractiveness of nuclear materials
• Fast sodium-cooled high-power reactor
• Uranium oxide fuel
• Uranium nitride fuel
• Mixed oxide uranium–plutonium fuel
• Mixed nitride uranium–plutonium fuel
• Critical assembly
• Neutron reflector
• Critical mass
• Beryllium
• Tungsten